When You Least Expect It
by LilyRose Blue
Summary: Ria Torres is reeling from a personal trauma. Can Lightman save her?
1. Chapter 1

Ria sat at her desk with her head in her hands. No matter what anyone said she knew that those two men getting killed was her fault. If she had done a more thorough job she would have known about the occasional painters. Ria poured herself a glass of vodka from Lightman's stash of liquor and downed it with two gulps. Everything was a mess in her life right now. Her relationship with Loker was strained and strange. She was having a difficult time connecting with her younger sister even though both of them were trying their best. But her fight with Loker tonight was what sent her over the edge.

_Flashback…._

"_What do you want from me Ria! I care about you but you keep shutting me out! What am I missing here? Is it something that I am doing wrong?" asked Eli in an exasperated tone."You haven't let me sleep over in nearly two weeks. You won't even let me kiss you." _

"_You didn't do anything I just don't have time for a relationship and neither do you for that matter!" fired back Ria with her hands on her hips. She couldn't believe they were having a screaming match in an alley behind their favorite bar and yet here they were. She wanted him to drip this conversation. She wanted him to let it go but he was like a dog with a bone._

"_You haven't let me touch you in weeks! You can't tell me that it isn't about me. When I go to touch you…you get this sick look on your face. What did I do to you?" asked Eli seriously. "I am trying to make this relationship work but you keep shutting me out. I don't know what you want from me. Maybe you don't want anything from me but I am tired of playing this game with you…I can't do it anymore Ria…we're through." said Eli._

"_You didn't do anything to me Eli…you didn't do it…but…someone else did." said Ria in a strained voice. "Please…don't say that…I just…I just need some time." said Ria pleadingly. _

_Eli turned away from her. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. Her facial expressions, her micro expressions, her eyes, they all screamed with pain and emotions that he couldn't deal with at the moment. He walked away from her leaving her there in the alley. He stopped and said "I'll take you home…let's go." He still didn't look back at her. _

"_I don't need your pity!" screamed Ria. She stormed out of the alley pushing by him. She refused to let him see her crying. She took a cab back to the office._

The longer she sat and brooded about her problems the more she drank. The office was silent because everyone else had gone home. She found herself stretched out on Lightman's couch finishing off his bottle of vodka. She cried as she drank. She had found herself crying a lot lately. More than she ever had in her life.

Cal Lightman had just gotten into a knock out argument with his ex-wife about their daughter's future. He walked into his office and spotted Ria all but passed out on his couch. He stood at the door his head tilted in her direction for a moment taking in the scene before him. Ria was stretched out on his couch. One arm was dangling off the couch close to the empty bottle of vodka. Her head was turned toward the inside of the couch and soft snoring sounds were coming from her. Lightman flipped on the lights and shouted "Oi! What do we have here?" asked Lightman looking peeved but in reality he was slightly amused by the situation.

Ria was startled out of her drunken stupor and tried to scramble to her feet but instead in her uncoordinated state she only ended up rolling onto Lightman's floor with a thud. She looked up from the floor her long dark hair covering her face and a slightly crooked drunken smile floating across her lips. "I...I...needed a drink...and Loker told me where you stash the good stuff in your office..." muttered Ria shifting positions so that she was sitting on the floor as opposed to being splattered on it.

"Did you have to drink the whole bottle love?" asked Lightman walking over picking up the empty bottle. He tossed it into the trash can so that Ria didn't break it in her drunken state. He had a seat next to her on the floor. "You want to tell me why you are getting drunk on the couch in my office?" asked Lightman looking at her. This was the second time he had come across her drunk like this. The first time it had been at his house and she was waiting for him. Although she couldn't have possibly been waiting for him this time. So why was she in his office? She could have took the bottle and had a drink anywhere.

"I messed up Lightman...I really messed up. And it is just an example of how my entire life is going down the toilet. I can't seem to get anything right in my personal life. My job was the one area where everything was going great." said Ria staring at Lightman. She groaned a little because her vision was blurry at the moment. She saw two or three grainy versions of Lightman's face in her head at the moment. She closed her eyes to concentrate on what she was trying to say. "A security guard...former police officer had to kill two men because I made a mistake on the job. I was careless and it caused a lot of people a lot of pain not to mention it could have given a bad name to the entire Lightman group. "My sister...she...wants to come live with me but, I don't really know how to take care of her. She needs a lot of love, supervision, guidance...things I can't give her with my schedule. But if I am not working this job...I wouldn't be able to take care of her anyway. And Loker! Loker is my worst mistake of all. I had sex with him...a lot of sex with him! Good sex too...really good sex. I mean he really knows how to."

Lightman laughed at her drunken confessions but he stopped her from giving detail about her sexual escapade with Loker. "Ria...stop. You are going to regret going on like this when you finally sober up. And I will be sure to remind you of this conversation." Though this wasn't news to him. He already knew that Ria and Eli had slept together.

She laughed and said "Oh that is right you don't want to hear about hot sex. Anyway, now we are weird around one another. I don't know what he wants from me and I don't know what I want from him. And...I want someone else I think but he could never want me the way I want him. And I keep reaching out to him...and he just doesn't see it...he doesn't see me. And Loker….doesn't want to see me anymore because…I can't give him what he wants. But I…I just needed a little more time. I needed more time."

"You are reaching out for Loker?" asked Lightman confused for a moment. He was hoping that she wasn't saying what he thought she was saying. He looked at the young woman's face and saw the pain she was feeling. She was far too drunk to try to hide her micro expressions from him. Her face was like an open book to her soul at the moment.

"Why...? Why don't you want me?" asked Ria looking at him. "I'm beautiful right...smart...funny...sexy...manipulative...you like those sorts of things in women...and at first I thought you didn't want me because you were in love with Foster...but you have sex with women over and over again...so that can't be it. And it can't be because of not wanting to sleep with employees because while I've worked with you I've watched you break dozens of lows and social constructs." She groaned and slid closer to him. "Don't you see anything you like?"

Cal said "Love, are you going to make a habit of coming onto me when you are piss drunk? Because if you are maybe you shouldn't drink as much. You aren't interested in me...it is the liquor talking. Come on I am going to get you home for the night." Cal stood up and gently lifted her up so she was supported against him.

Ria felt her heartbreak a little hearing Lightman's response but she refused to let it show. She didn't say anything as he guided her out of the building and out to his car. Ria didn't say anything else to him after that. She felt like a scolded child and her brain was too fuzzy to come up with a catchy comeback.

Cal helped Ria out to the car and got her into the backseat. He made sure that she was settled before climbing into the drivers' seat and starting up his car. He started driving toward her place. The silence in the car was deafening. He knew that he had hurt her feelings but it was the best way to keep her from throwing herself at him and embarrassing herself yet again. She was a talented young woman but she was obviously a damaged one and he wasn't going to take advantage of her even if he did find her attractive. Cal arrived at her place and helped her out of the car and up to her door. "Where are your keys Torres?" asked Cal.

Ria said "Uh...in my desk...at work." Ria burst into laughter realizing she had no way of getting into her house at the moment. She just kept laughing to herself.

Cal looked at her door and considered picking the lock but decided better of it. "I am going to take you home with me you can stay in the guest room." said Cal. He walked with her back to his car and helped her in again. He got into the car and drove to his house. He was glad that Emily was with her mother for the night. He helped Ria into the house and into the guest room. "You can sleep here for the night. I'll get you something to sleep in...just stay right here." said Cal leaving her on the bed.

Ria laid across the bed for the moment trying to regain her senses. She wanted to be more lucid but she couldn't manage it at the moment. She stood up and started stripping out of her clothes.

He walked to his bedroom and searched his dresser for a long t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He walked back into the room and spotted Ria in only her bra and panties. Lightman's eyes couldn't help but wonder over her beautiful body. He shook his head and walked over handing her the shirt and shorts. "Here...I'll see you in the morning. I am down the hall if you need anything." Cal walked out of the room trying to ignore the feeling he got from seeing her nearly naked. He closed the door behind him and then went to his own bedroom and changed for bed. He changed into a pair of navy blue and white striped pajama bottoms. He climbed into his bed tiredly and tried to get the image of Torres out of his head.

Meanwhile Ria pulled on the t-shirt he had given her and she fell into the bed tiredly. It didn't take very much for Ria to drift off into a fitful sleep but she was used to that.

Cal fell asleep after a couple of hours but woke up hearing a shrill cry from the room down the hall. Cal shot out of the bed like a bolt of lightning. The scream had sent shivers up and down his spine. He raced down the hall to the guest room and flung open the door. "Ria?" asked Cal his voice thick with concern for the young woman. It was then he realized that Ria was still sound asleep in the bed but was tossing and turning and crying in her sleep. He walked over to the bed. "Ria! Ria you need to wake up." said Cal.

Ria was startled out of his sleep and moved away from Cal her eyes wild with fear. She scrambled to the other side of the queen side bed clutch a sheet around her body. It took a moment for the fog of her nightmare to lift. She looked at Lightman with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry..." whispered Ria hardly able to find her voice. She didn't know what else to say as silent tears slipped down her cheeks. Her breathing was still rapid and her eyes darted around the moonlit bedroom.

Cal walked over to the bed and turned on the lamp. "Ria?" asked Cal in a soothing voice.

Ria didn't respond she just sat there with the sheet clutched to her for a few minutes. She couldn't bring herself to look in Lightman's direction. In a shaky voice she said "Sometimes...no matter how far you run...those same demons are at your heels...I can't get away from them...no matter what I do...no matter how far I go. Please...don't leave me alone...please."

Cal looked at the tears in her eyes and couldn't bring himself to leave her. "I won't...why don't you lay down and try to get some rest. I know you have to be exhausted right now." said Cal. He moved his legs into the bed and leaned against the headboard.

Ria finally relaxed and scooted across the bed so that she was closer to Cal. She rested her head against his chest needing to feel close to someone at the moment. She closed her eyes tiredly and whispered. "Thank you...Cal." said Ria. She started to drift off to sleep.

Cal found himself lightly caressing her hair. "Just get some rest that is what I important. I am here if you need me." said Cal.

She slept for an hour before she started having another nightmare. She cried out in her sleep. "No…please…please…please don't hurt me. Let me go!" whimpered Ria. Ria settled down after awhile and stopped talking in her sleep.

Cal closed his eyes but he doubted that he would be able to fall asleep. He laid there until he heard Ria's breathing even out. He looked down seeing her asleep but didn't have the heart to leave her just in case he woke up again. Eventually, Cal fell asleep as well. The next morning her woke up seeing Ria still fast asleep, her head resting against his chest. He looked down and saw the sheet had moved and her bare legs were exposed. Cal covered her with the blanket and slid out of the bed quietly so that he didn't disturb her. He walked downstairs to the kitchen and started up a pot of coffee. He walked outside to grab the newspaper and walked back in. He had a seat drinking his coffee and reading the paper. He sat there thinking for a minute and picked up the phone dialing Gillian Foster.

Gillian answered on the first ring. "Good Morning Cal….what can I do for you?" There weren't many good reasons why Cal would be calling her this early in the morning.

"It is good to hear your voice too love….but I do need a favor. I need you to talk to Torres. I think something has happened that…she needs help with. I can't put my finger on exactly what…but I think she was attacked." said Cal.

Gillian was shocked and said "What makes you think that?"

"She…was drunk so I brought her to my house last night. She had two nightmares…one in which she was pleading not to be hurt. She's been acting strange for the last couple of weeks…" said Cal.

"I'll talk to her today…see if I can pick anything up…if she was attacked she might have gone to the hospital for treatment." said Gillian.

"I'll reach out to a friend of mine and see if I can find out anything about any hospital visits." said Cal. "I'll probably be late coming into the office today. I am going to wait around for Torres to get up."

"Alright, I will see you when you get in for work." said Gillian hanging up.

Ria woke up by herself. She was confused about where she was at the moment. She looked around and then got out of the bed. She ambled out of the bedroom and down the stairs and realized almost immediately that she was in Lightman's house. She walked into the kitchen tugging at the hem of the shirt he had given her the previous night. "Lightman…" said Ria in a tentative voice.

"I see you are awake…good." said Cal. He got up and poured a cup of coffee for her and set a bottle of aspirin in front of her. "I am sure that you are going to need this." said Cal looking at her.

Ria was more than embarrassed and she couldn't even remember everything she had done and said the previous night. She tried to hold her head high ad looked Lightman squarely in the eyes. "I am sorry about everything that happened last night. I wasn't really myself..." said Ria. She sat down drinking from the cup of coffee. She opened the bottle of aspirin and popped a couple in her mouth. She took another sip of coffee to wash the pills down.

Cal said "Well, that is an understatement if I ever heard one love. You are definitely not yourself...but that brings me to the question...Why? You haven't been yourself for awhile now and I've noticed it, but I didn't say anything because I figured you would get it under control. But when I come into the office and find you passed out drunk on my couch...we've moved past the point where I can just not ask you what is going on. So do you care to tell me why you were getting in my office no less?"

Ria wasn't ready for the hard questions she didn't know how much of the truth she really wanted to tell Lightman. She knew she was too hung over to even attempt lying to him. She would have to settle for tell him a partial truth. "It all started when Loker and I got into an argument last night. We broke up and…and I didn't really know what to do. So I went to your office and took your vodka…which I will definitely replace. I am so sorry for all of the problems I've caused you."

"But why in my office love?" asked Cal looking at Ria.

"I guess…I felt safe there. I felt like…if I was there nothing would happen to me." said Ria. She stopped talking realizing she had admitted much more than she had intended to.

Cal gave her a worried glance but didn't ask her anymore question. "I am always here for you if you need anything. I am here."


	2. Chapter 2

Ria sat there with Lightman in complete silence. She could tell that he knew something because of the way she kept catching him looking at her. She hated ever seeming weak or out of control and once again she had showcased her worse traits while drunk. Feeling out of control was Ria's worst fear. Being an victim of childhood abuse made Ria cling to controlling her life. She felt like if she was on control of herself no one could hurt her. Her attack had proven that theory wrong. She had been on a downward spiral for awhile and she thought that she had been hiding it well but her broken relationship with Loker was the first casualty of her lies. She didn't want her job to be a second. "I am very sorry about all of this Lightman. It will not happen again. Last night was just an off night because Loker and I broke up. More like he dumped me...but still I was dealing with the dissolution of a relationship and possibly a friendship. But this will not affect my work. I am back to normal." asserted Ria confidently.

Cal said "Bollocks! Everything you just said to me was complete and utter bull. You don't have to tell me what is wrong but do not insult my intelligence by telling me that there is nothing wrong at all. Eli is a good lad...but you didn't get wasted in my office because of him...at least not only because of him. And you are delusional if you think that this situation isn't going to start bleeding into your work. If it already hasn't started to, you are generally more thorough when it comes to pushing clients for information."

Anger flashed across her face and she said "You really shouldn't try to read your colleagues...sometimes there has to be secrets between co-workers for things to remain normal. You wouldn't let me say anything to Foster when I saw that her husband was lying to her...I need some privacy...please." The last statement seemed more of a plea than anything else. Ria knew that if Lightman continued to prod she would divulge everything and the tenuous hold she had on her sanity would be the first to go.

"I didn't need to read you. Only an idiot would believe you. And we are hardly...just co-workers. I care about what happens to you and there is obviously something very wrong right now. And whatever it is...it is laying waste to everything in your life. Your relationship, your mental health, and your job are suffering at the moment. And if you don't turn this situation around it is only going to get worse. If there is something on your mind...if there is something you need to talk about...you can talk to me. You had a nightmare last night...twice..." said Cal.

"Are...are you firing me?" asked Ria stunned. She didn't know what she'd do without her job. She stared at him when he mentioned her nightmare. She glared at him. Ria was worried about what she had managed to stay in her sleep. She didn't want Lightman or anyone else to know about what happened to her. This was her own personal shame.

He spotted the look of shame on her face and that was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. "Not yet." said Cal getting up. He walked out of the room and went upstairs taking a shower and dressing for work. While he was in his room he took out his cell phone and called one of his newest friends or sex partners...they hadn't actually given what they were doing a name. He waited for her to answer the phone. "Detective Wallowski, I need a favor from you. I think a colleague of mine...is in trouble."

She frowned. She was hoping that this was a social call. Cal could be annoying but he was also great in bed. She said "What sort of trouble are we talking about here? After that situation with my partner I am skating on very thin ice over here. I don't know how many big favors I can garner around here until the stink of a dirty partner has left me. Which...I have you to thank for getting me out of...so I will do whatever I can to help you."

"Thin ice? You are treading water love." corrected Cal. "I need you to check on hospitals in the area...see if they had a young Hispanic woman in her mid 20's to mid 30's in say the past month that came in for medical attention following an assault of some sort. She probably didn't use her real name when she visited the Emergency room."

"Are we talking about the young woman that works for you?" asked Detective Wallowski curiously as she jotted down the information Lightman was giving her. She figured it wouldn't be too hard to find out what she needed to know if she floated the description through the local emergency rooms, but she would probably have to sort through the women to find the right one.

"For now I'd rather keep the identity of the woman a secret. I just think that she might be in trouble and I need confirmation of that. She is a proud woman that isn't going to spill her guts...possibly until it is almost too late. You'd know all about that right." said Cal.

"I should be able to give you the information by the end of the day. I'll run this lead down for you. Maybe we could have dinner?" asked Wallowski. "I never did get to properly thank you for what you did for me. Besides I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Good, if you could get back to me by the end of the day that would be great. I really need to know this." said Cal. "I won't be able to make it for dinner tonight but maybe in the next couple of days. I'll talk to you later love." said Cal hanging up. He put on his watch and walked back downstairs to the kitchen but saw that Ria was no longer in the kitchen. He walked back upstairs to the guest room and knocked on the door.

Ria opened the door fully dressed in her clothing from the previous night. "I am going to go to the office and pick up my keys and then go home. So I'll be a little late for work but I promise after that I will be there and I will be on top of my game. Last night will just be a distant memory." said Ria.

Cal could see that she truly believed that but he knew better. Whatever she was pushing beneath the surface wasn't going to stay submerged for long. But she was too stubborn to accept help. Cal decided it would be better to confront her with evidence so that she couldn't deny the truth. Cal said "Alright, I will see you at the office. We are going to be talking to a senator's aides today to see which of them has been talking to the tabloids behind his back."

"Okay...I will be there Lightman. I will not let you or the company down again. I just need to get back into stride." said Ria. Ria took in a deep breath as if steadying herself. She hated being in front of Lightman. She felt like everything she did was just another confession.

"Do you want me to give you a ride?" asked Cal wondering how she was expecting to get to the office. He knew that she was trying to put as much space between the two of them as possible but he wasn't about to let her run away. She was in a bad place and she needed help.

Ria nodded and said "That would be good thank you." She picked up her purse and walked out of the guest bedroom and downstairs. "And thank you for watching over me last night…you could have just as easily dropped me off at a hotel or something. I just needed to be somewhere safe last night…and I am glad that I was here with you…even if I can't remember all of it."

"I care about what happens to you." said Cal simply. Cal picked up his car keys and walked out of the house with Ria. He stopped momentarily locking the door. He climbed into the car and waited for her before he took off for the office. The ride to the office was absolutely silent. Neither of them knew what to say to one another. After awhile Cal arrived at the Lightman Group and pulled into his parking space.

Ria quickly climbed out of the car and said "Thank you." She closed the door and took off like a rabbit into the building. She went straight for her office to retrieve her house keys. She was headed for the door when she spotted Eli. She tried to make it out of the door before he saw her.

Eli saw her and walked quickly after her. "Ria! We need to talk about last night…" Loker had spent the night worried about Ria and had a change of heart because of that. He realized that he cared enough for her to ride out whatever storm they were going through. He felt like a complete bastard for letting her just walk away last night. Their relationship had just been strained for awhile and he didn't know how to fix it.

"There is nothing to talk about." said Ria in a hiss over her shoulder. She proceeded to the main doors wanting to get out of there. Ria walked to her car and stood there feeling tears stinging her eyes daring to fall down her cheeks. She opened the car door but couldn't bring herself to climb in. She slammed her fist down on the hood of her car and cried.

Eli stood there for a moment collecting himself. He knew he had hurt her last night by breaking up with her and he had been a fool for doing it. He decided to go after her. He needed to talk to her. Eli ran out of the building hoping she was still in the parking lot. Eli caught up with her and grabbed her arm gently to stop her from climbing into her car. "Please Ria…"

Ria screamed she was startled by him grabbing her. Ria screamed in fear. "Get your hands off of me! Don't you ever put your hands on me again!" railed Ria. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She felt light headed from the sudden increase in her blood pressure.

Cal was just walking out of his office having just received an interesting call from Detective Wallowski. He was heading out to find Loker.

Gillian spotted him and walked over. "Were you able to get any information from Ria?" asked Gillian.

"No, just that she thinks that she is fine...but she is sadly mistaken. Something set her off last night...and breaking up with Loker poured fuel onto the fire in some way. I want to have a talk with him and see if he can tell me just what happened last night between the two of them. It might give us some sort of indication as to her underlying problem. I also called in a favor that may pay off. Wallowski is looking into ER visits for me. She's already found two cases that might fit the bill." He walked over to the receptionist. "Where is Loker?"

"He followed Ms. Torres out…I think they are fighting." said the receptionist in a low voice.

Cal and Gillian were heading to the parking lot when they heard the scream. They rushed over to the car. They stopped when they arrived on the scene.

The scene was a strange one. Ria was standing against her car with the driver's door open. Eli had a firm grip on her right arm and was looking at her confused and startled but he also looked concerned for the woman he was in love with. Ria was sobbing but looked angry and was pulling her arm away from Loker.

"Ria! What did I do…what is wrong?" asked Eli looking concerned for her. He saw the tears rolling down her cheeks and all he wanted to do was help her. He hugged her to him. "I am sorry for whatever I did…please just talk to me baby." said Eli in a gentle voice.

Feeling Eli hug her made her feel like she was going to vomit. She sobbed harder. "Let go of me! Just leave me alone!"

Cal walked over and said "Loker….let her go." He put his hand on Eli's shoulder to reassure him. He could see that Eli was freaked out by the situation as well.

Eli nodded and moved away from her. He didn't know what to do. He looked at Lightman and then over to Foster as if to ask for guidance. Standing back he could now see the terror on her face and realized he had unintentionally caused that. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

Foster walked over to Eli and said "Why don't you go inside and get the cube prepped for the aides…they should be here very soon and we need to be ready for them." Foster gave his arm a comforting squeeze.

Eli looked at Ria and said "Ria….I'm sorry that I scared you." He ran a hand through his curly jet black hair and then walked back onto the Lightman Group without another word. He didn't know what to think about what had just occurred.

"I need to go home to change." said Ria in a strained voice. She felt humiliated for screaming like a maniac at Eli. He had just scared her by coming up behind her. Her hand unconsciously went to her neck and rubbed it.

Gillian walked over and said "Ria, why don't we go into my office and talk before you go home…"

"I…I really need to get a shower and change…but I will be back soon." said Ria. She climbed into her car and closed the door quickly. She started her car and pulled out of the parking lot quickly.

Gillian said "Did you see the way she rubbed her neck…"

Cal nodded and said "Yeah, I saw it…the sooner Wallowski comes through the better…" 


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay with Chapter 3. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I have been loving the reviews so please keep them coming

Ria walked into her apartment and locked the door behind her. She looked around the space that had now become her prison. She dreaded coming home and yet she didn't have anywhere else to go. She had been spending a lot of long nights at the Lightman Group. She walked to her bedroom but couldn't bring herself to walk into the room. The door was closed and that door hadn't been open in weeks. Ria put her hand against the door. Deep down she knew that she was in a bad place but she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about what happened to her. She turned her back on the bedroom door and walked to her bathroom. She turned on the water in the shower and stuck her hand under the faucet feeling the hot water run over her hand. She walked over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror and put her hair up into a ponytail. She leaned down splashing water onto her face. She just wanted to wake up from this nightmare...but this was no dream...this was her new reality. Sometimes it was hard to even look herself in the mirror. She had been using her work as reason to get out of bed each day but even that wasn't helping now.

Ria stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the hot shower and washed up. The water was so hot that she could barely stand to be in the shower. She washed her hair and then rinsed it just letting the water run over her. She scrubbed at her skin as if the water could wash away what happened to her. Ria started crying and slid down the shower wall. She sat on the floor of the shower with her head in her hands crying. The water pouring from the shower the only noise muffling her sobs. Ria sat on the floor in the shower until the hot water ran out and she was being sprayed with ice cold water. Even then she sat there for another 30 minutes letting the ice cold water rain down on her. She finally pulled herself up and turned off the water. Her teeth chattered but the coldness just didn't register to her it was like she was numb. She climbed out of the shower wrapping a towel around her body. She padded down the hall to the guest room that had become her bedroom. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a pants suit to wear for the day. She laid it across her bed and the laid down on the other side of the bed. She needed to regroup. She was coming apart at the seams and people were starting to notice. She knew that she couldn't lie to Lightman, Gillian, or Loker for that matter. They would all see through her easily. The longer she sat on the bed the more she wanted to just stay there and not go into work. Ria laid down in the bed curling up into a ball. She stared at the wall for what seemed like an eternity and fell asleep.

She woke up around two o'clock and looked at the digital clock on her night stand. She frowned realizing that she had slept for a long time. She had told them that she would be back soon and she had managed to let them down again. She sat up in the bed taking in a deep breath. Ria glanced over at the suit draped across her bed and shook her head. She wouldn't be going into work today. She couldn't...Ria reached over and picked up the phone next to her bed. She called Gillian Foster's cell phone.

Gillian and Lightman were sitting together discussing their approach with Ria when the phone started to ring. Gillian glanced at the caller ID and looked at Lightman. "Cal, it's Ria. What should I say to her? I mean she is obviously calling in to take the day off at this point." said Gillian glancing at the watch on her wrist.

"We can't ask her the questions head on without any sort of proof. She will lie to us even though she knows we can read her. For now we can't ask her any questions." Cal reached over and grabbed the phone before Gillian could answer it. "Oi! Where the hell are you Torres? We waited on you for 45 minutes before we had to conduct the interviews ourselves. We still need your help to go over the footage. So when will you be here?" Cal was being overly tough but he didn't want her trying to retreat from them. They were obviously the only people in her life right now that could help her.

Ria's eyes glanced around the room trying to figure out what to say. "I am very sorry Dr. Lightman. I tripped over some packages and sprained my ankle, I took something for the pain and ended up falling asleep. I am not going to be able to make it to work today. But you have my word that I will be back to work tomorrow even if I have to hop on one leg." Ria ran a frustrated hand through her dark hair

Lightman looked at Gillian and gave her a thumbs' down indicating he did not believe Ria's story. "Fine but I expect you here tomorrow morning." Lightman hung up on her. "She gave me some story about spraining her ankle. I don't believe a word of it. We need to talk to Eli and find out what he knows about what is going on with Ria. He has been spending more time with her than either of us has lately."

Gillian nodded and said "I think you might be right. He might have some insight and not know that he has it." Gillian called Eli. "Eli, could you please come to my office." Gillian hung up and stood up from her desk. She walked over to the couch in her office and had a seat.

Eli knocked on the door and then walked into the office. "You wanted to see me? I am still working on the tape analysis. All of the aides were lying so much it is hard to isolate each incident of deception on the tapes." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He was embarrassed about how things happened in the parking lot.

Lightman said "We aren't worried about that right now. Come in and have a seat. Gillian and I want to talk to you about Ria. You've been spending a lot of time with her. You must have noticed that change in her before now...how long has she been acting strange?"

Eli walked over and had a seat in a chair across from the couch Lightman and Foster were currently seated on. Eli said "We've been seeing one another for about two months. Everything was going okay until about a month ago when Ria stopped letting me spend the night at her apartment. She went on a vacation for a week without telling me about it first. Sometimes she comes over to my apartment and we'll start off sleeping in the same bed but by morning I'll find her asleep on my couch. It's been a month since we've uh…"

"She hasn't shagged you in a month? And you didn't find that to be strange?" asked Lightman getting to the heart of the matter. So far everything that Loker was saying was synching up with Lightman's theory that she had been assaulted in some way. Lightman thought back to her taking a vacation. It had been so abrupt. She had called in one day and said she'd be taking her vacation time. At the time Lightman thought it had something to do with her father. But now he realized that she feared a different tormentor…a different abuser.

"Of course I thought it was strange and I have been trying to get Ria to talk to me about what has been going on. But the more I try to talk to her the more that she shuts me out. Last night…I had enough…I broke up with her because I was just so angry. But as soon as I did it I was angry at myself. I tried to get in contact with her to right my wrong. I think it is time for me to go back to radical honesty. Life was easier when I was completely honest with everyone." said Loker.

Lightman said "Radical honesty is a cop out so that you aren't responsible for your social interactions. This isn't about you Loker…this is about taking care of Torres. Even if you had been honest with her there is no guarantee she would have opened up to you. You didn't do anything wrong lad." Lightman stood up and patted Loker on the shoulder. "That's all we need for now lad. Thank you."

"Wait…I mean I want to help you…I want to talk to Ria." said Loker. He felt like he was being dismissed from the principal's office. "She's my girlfriend." said Loker. This always drove him crazy about Lightman. One minute he was trying to make him feel like a valued member of the team and the next minute Lightman was treating him like dirt. He had yet to realize that Lightman was trying to train him for a world outside of the office.

"I know that you are worried about her but right now Gillian and I are going to talk to her. You being her boyfriend will just make the situation worse. When we know something I will give you a call." said Lightman. He looked at Gillian and then the two of them left the office. They walked out to Lightman's car. "We are going to go to Torres' apartment and talk to her. This has gone on long enough."

Detective Wallowski walked over to them. "Hey, I decided to just come over here with what I found. Your Ria Torres did go to the hospital she was transported there by ambulance. The police talked to her and she made a report. What I am about to tell you next…could make me lose my job…I know the detective that caught the case. He owes me a favor…and gave me a copy of the notes he took that night." She handed him a few sheets of paper. "You've got to keep my name out of this."

Lightman said "I am not going to tell anyone anything. I don't even think I will have to use the information you've gotten for me. This is just for back up." He kissed her cheek. "Thank you for your help love." said Lightman.

Wallowski nodded and said "Of course…well see you soon. I hope this all works out for Torres, she is a bright girl." Wallowski walked away putting her sunglasses back on.

Lightman looked at Gillian. "Well, let's go and see our girl…" Lightman tucked the neatly folded sheets of paper into his jacket pocket for safe keeping. He would only use the information on the paper if Ria wasn't willing to open up. But he had a feeling that she was ready to crack. She was in such dire straits that she wouldn't be able to hold in the truth for much longer.

"Aren't you going to read what Detective Wallowski gave you?" asked Gillian. "That vacation that Ria took…she must have been healing from the attack. But that means that the attack was localized in areas that are not visible…because even after a week we would have been able to see bruising on the face."

"If I know Torres…this is only a partial truth…a version of the truth that she felt like giving. I want the whole truth. That is the only way that we can help her…the only way we can catch the person that did this to her." said Lightman. He had a sort of fire in his eyes. No one went after one of his own and walked away from it clean. "That is exactly why she took the week off…and I missed it." said Lightman. He was angry more than anything. It took him back to his mother committing suicide. She had been given a weekend pass by the doctors to go home and see her family and when she was home she killed herself. To this day he sometimes watched the video tape of her session before she was allowed to go home. He stared at her face to look for the microexpressions. And every time he looked he saw them as plain as day. Now he was kicking himself because he had talked to Torres when she asked for the vacation time. He had heard the fear and anger in her voice but he assumed he knew what it was about and Ria had been going off the rails every since then.

Gillian knew that look and climbed into the car putting on her seatbelt. She knew this was going to be a bumpy right. "You couldn't have known Cal." whispered Gillian in a soft but firm voice.

"She needed me and I failed her." said Lightman as he started up the car without another word.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! This is just a warning Ria describes her attack in this chapter so it may be disturbing to some readers.

* * *

Eli Loker paced the floor a bit. He was angry at being left behind when Ria was his girlfriend and he had a right to know what was going with her. He had as much right as Lightman and Gillian. More so in fact. Eli took out his cell phone and dialed Ria's phone. He waited for her to answer. He needed to be able to talk to her for his own peace of mind. The way she reacted in the parking lot scared him and worried him.

Ria was laying in her bed tiredly. Her curtains were drawn and she didn't want to see any sunlight. All she wanted to do was rest. She looked over at her nightstand seeing the glass of vodka sitting there. She reached over and picked it up. She tilted the glass pouring all of the chilled liquid down her throat with only a couple of gulps. Ria glanced at her phone ringing. She sighed hearing the ring tone she used for Loker. She felt bad for how she freaked out earlier and didn't think it would be right to ignore his call. She reached over and answered the phone. "Hi Loker..." said Ria in a tentative voice. "I am sorry for how I reacted in the parking lot this morning. I don't know what came over me..." Ria figured if she got it out there to start then the conversation wouldn't be awkward.

"I didn't call for that...I wanted to talk to you. You do not have to apologize for this morning...you were scared and I made it worse by chasing after you. I care about you so much Ria...so much more than I've ever cared about anyone else. I wanted to talk to you face to face but Lightman and Foster told me to stay here at the office. They wanted to talk to you without me." said Loker.

"I care about you too Loker...and this morning wasn't your fault. You were just worried about me. I just need some space right now...that is all. I just need space." Ria sat up in the bed with worried eyes. "What do you mean they wanted to talk to me...when?"

"They are on their way over there now. They left here about...ten minutes ago. I wanted to talk to you...to apologize for breaking up with you last night when you are obviously struggling with something big. It was selfish of me. I just didn't know how else to wake you up, you were shutting me out and I didn't know how to fix that." said Eli.

Ria shot out of the bed and said "You don't have to apologize to me Loker. But I've got to go." Ria hung up and hurried around her bedroom. She hurriedly pulled on underwear and a pair of jeans and searched for a blouse. She pulled on her blouse and then slipped on a pair of shoes. Ria grabbed her purse and car keys ready to head out. She glanced at the bottle of vodka and realized that she had consumed half of it. She sighed realizing that she probably too impaired for driving. She wasn't going to let her issues cause her to make a tragic error. She dropped her keys into her purse and left her apartment. She walked a couple of blocks over and grabbed a cab.

Cal arrived at the apartment twenty minutes later and parked. Cal got out of the car and scanned the parking lot looking for her car. He spotted it and said "Well, looks like she is home." Cal waited on Gillian before walking into Ria's building. They went up to Ria' s apartment and Cal knocked on the door waiting for an answer. Cal stood at the door impatiently as he knocked yet again. After about a minute Cal reached into his pocket taking out a lock pick set.

Gillian said "Cal...do you really think breaking into her apartment is a good idea. Maybe she just isn't here...she can't hide out forever and when she shows back up we can talk to her without ambushing her. The last thing she needs is to be frightened by the only people that are here to support her. There is a difference in counseling between confrontation and bullying."

Cal glanced back at Gillian and said "No the last thing she needs is for us to allow her to continue to hide from us and hide from her problems. We've got to step in before she does some real damage to herself. You know the signs as well as I do." Cal picked the lock and opened the apartment door. "Well, lucky for me I am not a psychiatrist so bullying will work just fine for me." He walked inside. "Torres?" called Cal as he looked around the apartment. He checked both bedrooms and walked back into the living room shaking his head. "She's not here..." said Cal

Gillian just smiled. He acted indifferent but it was always good to see when Cal was passionate about the people that he cared about. Gillian said "Where could she be? Her car is still in the parking lot."

"She must have taken off somewhere…on foot…cab maybe. Who knows? Maybe Loker came and picked her up." said Lightman. Cal said "Let's go back to the office love." Cal walked with Gillian back to the car. They climbed in and headed back to the office. Once they were back at the office Cal tried to focus on his work but Ria was in the back of his mind. He was worried about his young protégé. The day seemed to drag on for him but eventually Cal decided that it was quitting time. He left the office without saying anything to anyone. He went over to Ria's apartment building and staked it out waiting for her to return.

Around 10:00 Ria slipped into her building. She unlocked her door and was about to step into her apartment when she heard Lightman's voice.

"I was wondering when you'd come back home love….we need to talk." said Lightman in a stern but caring voice. He leaned against the wall looking at her in his normal casual stance. He held up a bottle of aged scotch. "I figured this could be a peace offering."

Ria spun around her hand going into her purse for the gun she was now carrying. She calmed down realizing that it was Lightman. She slid the gun back down into her purse. "Why can't you take a hint…I stayed out all day to avoid you…I am sorry about getting drunk in your office and everything that happened last night I know it isn't very professional of me but I am okay." She eyed the bottle of scotch that dangled precariously from his hand.

Lightman said "You are okay? Then why are you carrying a gun?" He nodded his head to her purse. He leaned closer and said "And you are already drunk. I can smell the rum on your breath."

Ria stood there in shock she wasn't sure why. Lightman always seemed to know things even when it didn't have to do with microexpressions. "It is a dangerous city…I figured I could use some protection."

"Come on now love…if you are going to lie to me do a better job of it." said Lightman walking passed her into her apartment. He said "You are terrified…and you have been for awhile. I am sorry that I didn't see it before now…but now that I know…you can't think that I am going to just let it go. You said that you feel safe with me right? You've been drinking to an excess lately Ria…how does that play out?"

Ria walked into her apartment and closed the door behind them. She locked the door and sighed. "I was drunk...you can't hold anything I said against me…I've been in so much pain lately…the liquor is the only thing that seems to numb the pain…the drinking makes life bearable. I don't want to hurt anymore."

"Drunk or not…it was the truth right love?" asked Lightman walking over to her. He took her into his arms. "You are living in fear and that is no way to live at all…let me help you…I don't want to hurt you…I want to help you." whispered Lightman in a tender voice he never used.

Ria all but melted into his arms. She did feel safe with him. She felt like as long as she was with him nothing would happen to her. Ria pulled back and said "I need a drink." Ria walked into her kitchen. She opened her cabinet and pulled out a bottle of rum. "Do you want something to drink Lightman? I mean in addition to the scotch you brought along?"

"I'll have whatever you are having." said Lightman. He took off his jacket and had a seat on the couch. He kicked his feet up onto her coffee table and tried to relax. He reasoned that if he was at ease then he would be able to put her at ease. "We don't have to talk until you are ready to talk."

Ria made a couple of rum and cokes for them and brought the rum into the living room. Ria turned on the stereo because the silence was deafening. She had a seat on the couch. Ria looked at Cal and didn't say anything for awhile. She just sat with him on the couch drinking her rum and coke. And soon that rum and coke was replaced with just straight rum. And then the rum was replaced with the scotch. "You should just have sex with me." slurred Ria drunkenly.

Cal glanced at his watching realizing that it had been almost two hours that the two of them had been sitting there in complete silence. Nothing but Ria's stereo in the background to supply sound to the quiet room. He looked at her and said "I could do that…but is that really what you need…or would it just make you feel worse than you already feel?"

She laughed almost bitterly. "I don't feel anything anymore…it is like my entire body is numb…and I like it that way…aren't you attracted to me…even a little?"

Cal lightly brushed her hair away from her face. "You are a beautiful woman Ria and any man would be lucky to make love to you. I would love to make love to you. But that would be taking advantage of you…taking advantage of your vulnerability. And I wouldn't do that." He smiled at her softly and said "if there is ever a time that you proposition me while you aren't drunk…well I will take you up on that offer." To reinforce that sentiment he gently kissed her lips and then went back to drinking his scotch.

Ria smiled a little after the kiss. Lightman wasn't going to let her out of telling him the truth. Ria was more drunk than she wanted to be, there was no way she'd be able to keep herself from telling Lightman the entire truth about what happened to her. She looked into his caring eyes and finally decided that she didn't mind so much if he knew the truth. Ria's voice cracked as she said "I came home late one night...around 2:00 in the morning I think it was. I was late leaving work that night because I was working on video analysis and Loker was out of town for the weekend so I was...lonely I guess and working made the time pass quicker. I walked into my apartment and went into my bedroom. That is when someone hit me over the head. I fought against him but...the harder I fought the more he laughed in this...gravelly voice...he said that he liked a challenge." Ria felt tears slipping down her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away.

Lightman felt compelled to move closer to her. He slid over on the couch and wrapped his arms around her. He drew her in closer to him. Lightman said in a tender voice "You can tell me and it does not leave this room. Just let me help you Ria...I hate seeing you in pain like you've been lately. Let me help take that pain away from you. You shouldn't have to carry this burden alone."

Ria rested her head against Lightman's shoulder. She felt safe and warm in his arms. She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her heart was racing as she recounted her attack. "I started to scream for help and he slapped me across the face and started choking me...I thought that I was dying...his hands were so tight around my throat. My lungs felt like they were on fire...and no matter how hard I tried...I couldn't seem to get in even one single breath. And then just like that everything went black." Ria unconsciously rubbed her neck where her attacker's hands had been. It was obvious that Ria had relived the attack repeatedly since it occurred. Her body was tense and periodically she shuddered as the memories flooded her senses. "When I finally came to again...I was on my bed...naked and he was on top of me. I tried to fight him off of me but he slammed my head into the headboard until I lost consciousness again. When I finally woke up again I was naked...and alone. There was blood on my pillow from my head...I tried to get to my phone but he had ripped it out of the wall...I was in too much pain to walk so...I crawled into the living room and called 911. I wanted to tell someone...but...I was so ashamed. With the way I grew up I promised myself that once I was an adult I would never be a victim again. I let them do a rape kit at the hospital but…the police aren't going to find the guy that did this…and I don't want to get my hopes thinking that they will find him. I yesterday was a bad day because…I got a package in the mail…he mailed my panties…from the night that I was raped."

Lightman's jaw tightened as he listened to Ria's story. After Ria went silent he felt her body heave with every sob that left her body. Lightman didn't say anything because that wasn't what Ria needed at the moment. Right now she just needed to know that she wasn't alone. He kissed the top of her head and held onto her. One of his hands lightly caressed her back in a comforting way. More than anything he wanted to protect Ria and he wanted the person that attacked her to pay for what he had done. "I am here for you Ria and I am not going anywhere, love." whispered Cal.

She curled up against him more pulling her legs more onto the couch. For the first time in awhile she felt like she could close her eyes and get some rest. Ria cried until her eyes started to feel heavy. Between a long couple of days and all of the liquor she had consumed in the last 24 hours Ria was exhausted and soon she fell asleep in Lightman's arms.

Lightman sat on the couch holding Ria in his arms the dark room lit only by the moonlight that shined in through the sheer curtains. Lightman lifted her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. He tucked her into bed and then kicked off his shoes climbing into the bed with her. There was no way that he could leave her in this state.


	5. Chapter 5

Ria woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing and food cooking. She sat up in the bed tiredly feeling like her head was going to explode. There were definite down sounds to drinking like there is no tomorrow...because there is a tomorrow and you feel awful when it arrives. Ria pulled herself out of the bed and walked to the kitchen. She watched Cal standing at her stove cooking breakfast in his slacks and a tank top. She looked at the tattoos on his arms. "Good Morning..." said Ria in a tired voice. She walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee.

Cal looked back in her direction. "Morning...I was going to come and wake you up in a few minutes...breakfast is almost done...you need something other than booze in your system. How did you sleep?" Although Cal had a pretty good idea how she slept the previous night. Cal had held Ria for the majority of the night and watched her sleep as peacefully as someone could under the circumstances.

Ria said "I...I'm sorry about last night the drinking...it is the only way I can sleep and get any rest...I am surprised that you haven't fired me seeing how I have been acting lately..." Ria sipped her coffee gratefully and tried to snap out of the fog she was in at the moment. "What I told you last night..." said Ria quietly looking at a Cal even though his back was turned toward her at the moment. "I know that you and Foster are really close but...I don't want anyone to know what happened to me...please...respect my wishes...I didn't even file a police report because...I didn't want to put myself through all of that...having to relive it...but I trust you enough to...be honest with you."

Cal was quiet for the moment not answering her at all. He served up sausage, pancakes, and eggs. He carried to plates over to the island and had a seat next to Ria. "Eat something to absorb the booze left over in your system." Cal started eating breakfast rather ravenously. He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol the previous night as well and he was still a little drunk. "I am not going to fire you...if anything I am angry at myself for not figuring out that you needed help sooner than this...last night after you were asleep...I talked to a couple of my contacts...and I found out that your attack...is one of eight with basically the same M.O. So I am sorry love...but I can't just let this go."

Ria started eating breakfast when Cal set the plate in front of her. She stopped eating when he said that there were seven other attacks that were similar to hers. Ria said "How...why haven't we heard about it on the news or...?" Ria pushed her plate away feeling sick to her stomach hearing that their had been seven other attacks. She was terrified that her refusal to file a report had led to more women being attacked. That was the kind of guilt that would kill her inside.

Cal said "The guy has been spreading his attacks in the tri-state area. Probably figuring the state agencies wouldn't talk with one another. What he didn't count on is the local law enforcement passing the case on to the feds...victim number eight...he kidnapped from her apartment after the assault. Virginia called in the feds and they are the ones that picked up on the pattern. I am using what little pull I have left in the government to make sure the Lightman group gets put on this case." He looked at her seriously. "I am going to take this guy down Ria...you have my word. But until he has been arrested I want you to come and stay at my house...I don't know if staying here is safe seeing as he sent you a little package as a reminder of what he did to you...he could decide to make a return visit...like he did with the first two victims..."

All of this was too much for Ria to take in and process at the morning. She got up from the island and ran into the bathroom getting sick. Her head was swimming as she replayed the things that Lightman said to her. Ria felt like she was being ripped in two between the splitting headache, the guilt, and the horrible urge to vomit again.

Cal finished eating his breakfast and afterward he cleared their plates. He assumed that Ria wouldn't be coming back for her breakfast. He loaded the dishwasher and then went into Ria's bedroom. He put on his shirt from the previous night and buttoned it up. Cal then went into her closet and found two suitcases. He put them on her bed and started packing for her. He knew that she'd probably argue with him about leaving her apartment but Cal couldn't in good conscience leave Ria here where her attacker could strike for a second time.

Ria stayed in the bathroom until she felt well enough to pull herself up off of the cold tile floor. She stumbled over to the shower turned it on. She showered for 30 minutes before she felt well enough to come out. Ria dried off and paused realizing that she didn't have anything to wear in the bathroom. She groaned. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body as tightly as she could. She opened the bathroom door and ran out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. As she walked into the bedroom she literally ran into Cal. "Ah!" screamed Ria startled by by him being in her bed room. Her hand went to her chest feeling her heart beat out of control.

Cal said "I'm sorry...I came in here to pack for you. Calm down..." Cal took her into his arms and head held her seeing the way the fear made her eyes glaze over with tears. Cal held her in his arms and felt Ria melt into his arms.

Ria cried for what seemed like forever to her but really was only a few minutes. She pulled away from Lightman feeling silly. "I'm sorry...I...I didn't expect you to be in my bedroom and..."

Cal nodded and said "it is okay...go ahead and get changed...after that I want to take you over to my house and get you settled in...before you protest...I am just doing this to keep you safe. I don't want anything to happen to you Ria." Cal gently held her face in his hands. Cal's eyes were locked onto hers.

Ria was shocked by the tenderness that Cal was showing her at the moment. She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't stay with him but seeing how concerned he was made her want to agree. Ria just nodded and said "Okay..."

Cal was shocked that she didn't argue but he just gave a cocky smile. "I'll be waiting for you in the living room love. Finish packing too." He walked out of the room. Cal walked into the living room and took out his cell phone. He knew that he had to bite the bullet and make the call. He dialed a number and waited for the person to answer. Cal said "Hello Bernard...you and I have something to talk about...I think I have a way to help the bureau with a case...and I think the bureau can do something to help me."

Bernard Dillon sat at his desk and scowled hearing Cal Lightman's voice. He literally couldn't stand the man. The two of them were enemies mostly because of Lightman's attitude toward Bernard Dillon. "I thought you no longer wanted a relationship with the bureau...?" asked Bernard snidely.

"We are both pragmatists at heart...we'd both work with the devil if it meant that we got the job done...so just imagine this is working with the devil...with the economy the way it is...the government is surely looking to trim the fat as it were...how many cases have you made this year...you wouldn't want to be the fat would you?" asked Cal

That last statement definitely appealed to Bernard's need for self-preservation. "Alright...what is on your mind..."

"The bureau took over a case...from Virginia...a young woman was raped in her apartment and then kidnapped...the bureau pinpointed that she was one of seven victims that match the same M.O." said Cal.

Bernard paused and said "Yes...that is correct I am working on that case...how do you know about it...and why are you interested...?" Bernard was getting pressure from his superiors to close the case soon before they had to release the information to the media and inform three states and the District of Columbia that there was a sexual predator on the loose.

"There aren't just seven victims...there is an eighth victim...she went to the hospital and had a rape kit performed but for the time being she has refused to make a formal complaint. This woman is a very close friend of mine and I want to make sure this predator is locked up and soon. My friend received a package in the mail from him. I think she may have some insights that will enable us to track him down..."

Bernard fell silent considering what Cal was telling him. He finally spoke up. "That is eight victims in less than three months...and that isn't counting the victims that may not have reported the attack like your...friend. Alright...I will meet you at the Lightman Group in and couple of hours...I'll bring all of the case files...and you can bring me what you found out from the eight victim...we'll work this together."

"I am glad that you agreed Bernard. I'll see you in a couple of hours." said Cal. He hung up and sighed. He had just made a deal with a man he despised but more than anything he wanted this monster off the street and for Ria to be safe once again so that she could go on with her life. Cal waited in the living room for Ria to get dressed and to finish packing. There was a long road ahead of them that was for sure.

Ria walked out of her room about fifteen minutes later carrying her two suitcases. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and swoop neck silver sweater. She said "I am ready to go Lightman…"

Cal looked up seeing her and offered a warm smile. "Good, well then let's get you out of here love. I think you will enjoy staying at my house." He winked at her and the two of them left Ria's apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

Gillian walked out of her office watching Special Agent Bernard Dillon walking out of the Lightman Group with a smug smirk on his face. Gillian walked to Lightman's office and walked in without knocking. "How did your meeting go?" asked Gillian walking over to Cal's desk eating a cup of chocolate pudding. Gillian didn't like the idea of Cal meeting with Bernard alone. They were not known for having a friendly relationship and Cal knew how to push the man's buttons and did so on purpose on a regular basis.

"Better than expected. He's informed me that they have two suspects...two very good suspects at that. And he's willing to allow me to interview both of them here. Under the condition that when we break this case he gets all of the credit. I told him I don't need the credit. In fact I don't want this case tied to the Lightman Group at all. I don't want Ria's name coming up in the investigation." said Cal. Although Ria had been staying with him for the past month and she was slowly starting to heal, she still was not willing file an official police report about her rape.

Gillian said "Ria has been attending her counseling sessions twice a week with my friend Donna...how is she doing at home? I know here in the office she is exhibiting some symptoms of PTSD. I've witnessed the hyper vigilance for myself several times." Gillian was concerned for the young woman. She was still rather withdrawn and kept to herself while at work. She had been doing mostly work in the lab and not going out into the field.

"She is struggling to get along the best that she can. She is doing better since she has been staying with me. She isn't as afraid but she is still suffering. She has nightmares in the middle of the night. And even if she doesn't wake up from them...she tosses and turns. She is afraid that he is going to come back for her. The sooner the FBI has bastard behind bars permanently...the better." said Cal shaking his head. The month Cal had struggled to try to help Ria get back on her feet. And slowly she was starting to recover. She was more herself when they were in private at home. It was there that she felt truly safe.

She nodded and said "Well, that is normal nightmares are a main feature of PTSD." Gillian quirked an eyebrow at him and said "How would you know about Ria tossing and turning in bed at night? Cal, are you sleeping with Ria?" Gillian scowled in disapproval, mostly because of the trauma that Ria had suffered but also because of the age difference and the fact that he was her boss. Gillian stood up and threw away her now empty pudding cup and walked back over to Cal's desk staring at him awaiting an answer.

Cal looked at Gillian and said "Yes...and no. Not that it is any of your business, love." Cal stood up from his desk walking around so that he was standing in front of her. He smirked and his head tilted to the side. "Are you worried for Ria's safety or are you jealous?" Cal knew how Gillian felt about him but he knew that it was a line that neither of them were willing to cross.

"Yes and no? What sort of answer is that?" asked Gillian frowning. "She has been through a horrible trauma, Cal. The last thing she needs is to start an unhealthy sexual relationship with an older man that could possibly serve as a surrogate paternal figure. You are asking for unhealthy attachments and it will end badly...Ria will get hurt if you allow a relationship to develop right now. This has nothing to do with my personal feelings. I am used to you hopping from one woman's bed to the next." Gillian folded her arms across her chest defensively.

"Ria is sleeping in my bed. But I am not having sex with her. And I don't intend to do so any time in the near future. I am not the type of man that would take advantage of a vulnerable woman. But she sleeps better when she is in my bed. She feels safe there with me and it is better than her waking up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep because she is afraid to dream." Cal leaned against his desk waiting for Gillian to lecture him.

"But you do realize that she is attracted to you and may very well look at you as a paternal figure...?" asked Gillian relieved to hear that Cal wasn't carrying on a sexual relationship with Ria. But something in his voice made her believe that it was a 'not yet' situation. "I know that you would not take advantage of her but what I am saying is that she may very well approach you…and I don't think you would turn her away."

"I do realize that she is attracted to me and I am very attracted to Ria. She is a beautiful woman and in the time that she has been living in my home I have gotten to know her better than I already did." Cal didn't mention that Ria had gotten to know him better as well.

Flashback...

_"I hate feeling helpless. When I finally became an adult I told myself that I would never be helpless again. I would never be anyone else's victim. And when he was on top of me..." said Ria pulling her knees up to her chest and tugging Cal's t-shirt down to cover her more. "All I could think about was how helpless I was all over again. Men take all of your power because they are bigger and stronger. They hurt you just because they can. How am I ever supposed to be normal?"_

_"I understand how you feel Ria...the wounds are still fresh but they will heal. You will heal. Not all men feel the need to hurt women." said Cal sitting next to her in his bed. He reached over and pulled her closer to him. "Loker is a good guy right…he's never hurt and you could probably kick his ass if he did…"_

_"How could you possibly understand how that feels?" asked Ria brushing away a few stray tears._

_Cal didn't like to share his past with anyone but if it could help Ria he was willing to do it. Cal took a sip from his glass of Whiskey and said "I know what it is like to have an angry...drunken father. My old man used me and my mother as his punching bags whenever he was drunk or hell just in a bad mood. And that was often. He was a surly...unhappy son of a bitch and took that out on us every time he got a chance. I spent many a night in a ball trying to shield myself from the blows. Physical scars went away in a matter of weeks…but the emotional scars…they took longer to heal but they did heal and yours will too."_

_Ria listened to Cal intently. "How do you get away from that...how did you stop being that little boy trying to shield yourself?" She took a drink from Cal's glass of Whiskey. "You could have brought a glass for me when you came to bed." said Ria with a small smile._

_"It never leaves you completely. I think most people spend their adult lives trying to undo the damage their parents caused in their childhoods. But it doesn't have to haunt you. You are just feeling it in full force right now because you were attacked...I guess I moved on when I realized that my father couldn't hurt me anymore. And I knew that it was up to me to be different...so I was. I didn't bring you a glass of whiskey because you said you'd cut back on drinking before bed." His hand went to her face and his thumb lightly grazed her jaw line. "You don't want to end up being an alcoholic...using the drink as your crutch. Drink for fun…not to hide from yourself."  
_  
"Cal you are playing with fire and normally I don't say anything. But you are setting Ria up for a very big fall if this doesn't work out. Is that really what you want for her? And you know that it won't work out. I don't think you are capable of having a healthy relationship. And I am not saying that to be mean because you know that I love you. Ria is a damaged girl...and she's looking for love...not to mention that Loker hates you because he thinks something is going on. He loves Ria and before this trauma...she was serious about him too Cal."

"Your objections are duly noted Gillian." said Cal. He looked at his watch. "I am going to head home for the night. He kissed her cheek. "Goodnight love." said Cal kissing her cheek. He walked back around his desk and grabbed his suit jacket. He put it on and walked out of his office. Cal stopped by the lab and walked over to Ria's work station. "It is getting late are you ready to go home for the night?" asked Cal.

Ria looked up from the footage she was reviewing. She smiled seeing him. "Sure...I can finish the last of this in the morning." Ria grabbed her coat and her purse and followed Cal out of the lab and to his car. "What should we do for dinner? I was thinking maybe we could order Chinese tonight. My treat?" asked Ria.

Cal started the car and nodded. "Sure that sounds good to me. We can eat Chinese and have some good wine. And I will pay for dinner." Cal drove them home and then headed inside with her stopping to pick up his mail on the way inside. "Go ahead and order dinner love...you know what I like."

Ria walked into the kitchen and searched in the drawer for the Chinese take-out menu. She called in their order and then went upstairs to get a quick shower and change clothes.

Cal had a seat in the living room waiting on dinner to arrive. He thought about what Gillian had said to him in his office. He wondered if he was setting Ria up to be hurt. He wasn't exactly good at maintaining relationships. In fact most of the women he dated ending up hating him and loving him all the same. But he also couldn't deny the fact that he was very attracted to Ria. Cal opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for himself as he thought things over. He was stunned out of his thoughts when there was a knock at the door. He went to the door and paid for their dinner. He called up the stairs "Oi! Love, dinner is here." Cal walked into the living room setting the bags on the table. He pulled out all of the containers and spread them out on the table.

Ria came downstairs wearing a navy blue night gown and matching robe. "Oooh that orange chicken smells amazing from over here." said Ria walking over to the couch. She had a seat next to Cal and curled her legs under her. "Did they remember to send the chopsticks like I asked?"

Cal nodded and handed her a set of chopsticks. "So how is the Danforth case coming along? How much of that footage have you reviewed?" asked Cal. He hadn't really been involved with the new case because he was focusing his efforts on finding Ria's rapist. He picked up the container containing his shrimp lo mein and started eating.

"It is going pretty good. Loker and I have eliminated the nanny and the mistress as suspects in the sabotage case. But at the moment...the husband looking good for sabotaging his own project. He's been lying to us from the very beginning. How many more secrets can one man have...illegitimate children, affairs with a mistress and the nanny and even with all of that out in the open he still has something to lie about." said Ria eating some of the orange chicken. She looked over at Cal's shrimp lo mein. "Do you mind?"

Cal laughed and passed the container of shrimp lo mein to Ria in exchange for the orange chicken. "Well, that just means whatever secret he is keeping is more important and probably more damning than the rest of them. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't sabotage his own invention."

"Hmm? Why would he do that though? He stands to lose several million dollars if he doesn't get the component that is missing back." said Ria looking at Lightman to see where he was going with his line of thinking.

"Well, think about it...he had so many balls in the air and they were all sort of coming down at the same time. His wife knew about his affair with the nanny. She was already dealing with the fact that he had three illegitimate children. There were only so many betrayals that she was going to take...finding out that the new mistress was pregnant would have sent her over the edge and she might have wanted a divorce." said Cal.

The light bulb went on in Ria's head. "He'd have to split everything with her fifty/fifty. Stealing the component would make the invention unsellable. She divorces him and once it is final he can produce the missing component and cash in on his invention without having to give her a cent. Sneaky..." "Have you talked to Emily?" asked Ria passing him back the lo mein and picking up the other container that contained beef and broccoli.

"I talked to her this morning. She is enjoying her time with her mother. It will be good to have her back home next week. I've missed her. But she is loving Chicago."

"You are a good dad. Emily is really lucky to have you." said Ria. She fell silent trying to figure out how to bring up the next subject on her mind and in fact it had been on her mind for the last week. "I know that it will probably be weird for Emily to have some strange chick staying in her dad's house...sleeping in her dad's room. So I was thinking I could move back into my apartment. I think I've gotten a lot better." said Ria. She wanted to give Lightman a way out.

"I don't see a reason for you to move out of the house, Ria. I've had girlfriends stay with me before. And it isn't as if you are some stranger off the street. Emily has known you for awhile now. Emily is a smart girl...nearly an adult she'll understand." said Cal reassuring her. He had already considered what he was going to tell Emily when she returned.

"Girlfriend?" asked Ria. "Is that what you think of me as?" asked Ria seriously.

Cal gave her a thoughtful look like he was considering what she said before a smile spread across his face. "Yes, I think of you as my girlfriend. Is that a problem for you?"

Ria's face lit up and she shook her head. "No, that isn't a problem for me at all. I drunkenly told you how I felt and I meant it. I've been attracted to you for a long time I just didn't think that you'd be interested in me..."

He chuckled and said "You came onto me a few times while you were drunk too. You are a beautiful girl Ria. I find you interesting and a pleasure to spend time with. I've enjoyed you being here with me this last month. Gillian thinks that getting into a relationship with you is a bad idea but I don't agree. However, my track record is...less than stellar."

"I am under no illusions about who you are Cal. You are a rude pain in the ass. You have a selfish streak that drives me crazy and I can only assume that you have one hell of a roaming eye...but somehow I don't feel like you are the cheating kind...you've already been married and divorced and you have a daughter that is about to go off to college. So I am assuming that you are not looking for a wife, 2.5 kids, and a picket fence." said Ria. "But you are a great guy, you care about me, you are funny and interesting, we have so many of the same interests. I've been getting over the worst thing to ever happen to me and this time that I have spent with you has been arguably the happiest I've been...ever..."

Cal sat there considering what she was saying. "Well, you are right I am not much of a cheater. If I am in an actual relationship I do not wander. That would make me more like my old man than I'd ever want to be. I already drink too much and trend towards a violent temper though I've never laid an ill hand on a woman. And you are also quite right that I've been married and divorced and that is one action I do not intend to repeat. I made her miserable always knowing everything about everything. And I never knew how to keep my mouth shut about what I saw."

"A relationship needs some secrets I suppose...but with you and I...well, you can always read me and the longer I've known you...I've gotten better at reading you. So perhaps that will level the playing field and make our relationship more...viable." said Ria shrugging her shoulders.

"Perhaps...I can't promise...anything..." said Cal knowing that was a cop out in a lot of ways but he really couldn't promise her anything long term. He had no way of knowing if this would work out. He sat back on the couch drinking from his glass of wine.

"No one knows the future. If you did promise me a long-term relationship I would know that you were lying to me for my own benefit and I don't want that. I don't need you to protect me from you...and I don't want you too Cal." said Ria.

"And my age is not an issue for you? You aren't worried about me having an unfair advantage over you because I am more mature?" asked Cal half-joking

"You are more mature?" asked Ria nearly choking on her wine. "You are like a man-child, Cal...really! More mature than me?" asked Ria laughing heartily finding this conversation amusing.

Cal chuckled and said "It isn't that funny. I am old enough to be your father. There is going to be a certain level of advantage in my favor in this relationship. I just...I want to make sure that you aren't looking at me as a father figure."

"First of all I find that insinuation to be creepy. I do not look at you as a father figure...my father was an abusive ass...trust me...I am not looking to recreate that particular relationship in my life. And don't be so flattered. I've dated an older individual before and I enjoyed it. And not because of some psychotic parental need but because it was a mature relationship that taught me a lot about who I am and what I like." She could see by the look on Cal's face that he was restraining himself. It was the same look he'd had for the last week. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Cal relaxed when Ria kissed him. He had wanted to kiss her for days now but he didn't want to scare her or pressure her. He had decided to let Ria make the first move. He was just glad that she finally made the first move. The two of them made out for awhile. He pulled back from the kiss and chuckled. "You spilled your orange chicken in my lap."

Ria looked down at his lap laughing and said "I am so sorry... I totally wasn't paying attention." She grabbed some napkins from the table and starting cleaning up the orange chicken from his lap.

Cal laughed and then cleared his throat. "Uh...maybe you should let me do that love..." Cal took the napkin from her hand and stood up. "I am just going to go change..." Cal went upstairs to change and to cool off. He knew that she wasn't ready for a sexual relationship even if she thought differently.

Ria sat downstairs for awhile waiting on Cal to come back. After he was gone for so long she went upstairs to the bedroom and found him sitting on the bed. "Is everything okay? I mean are you mad at me or something? You've been up here a very long time." asked Ria looking at him.

"Yeah...everything is fine. No, I am not mad at you. I am just glad that you spilled your dinner on my lap when you did...stopped me from making the next move..." said Cal standing up from the bed. "Let's go finish eating dinner."

"Wait...why? What is wrong with make a move on me?" asked Ria. She placed her hand of her hip and looked at him intently.

He smirked a little enjoying the immediate attitude she copped. But he realized that she wasn't going to let this go. He tried to figure out a way to say this to her. "Torres, you were raped and you still have nightmares at night. I might not agree with everything Gillian said to me today but I do agree with one thing...you are not ready for a sexual relationship." said Cal.

Ria bristled when he called her Torres. She knew it was a way of removing the intimacy they had achieved in their relationship. Ria said "Everyone is different...no two people are exactly the same...wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, I would agree with that statement. And I see where you are going but..."

Ria cut him off. "But nothing. There is no magical amount of time that is going to make me ready for a sexual relationship. I won't know until I try. I won't live my life in fear and I am not willing to deny myself what I want because I am worried about how I will react. If I do that...then I am letting my rapist exercise power over me even now. My body is my own and my mind is made up. I know what I want Cal and I want you...and I know you want me too. I felt that much downstairs on the couch."

Cal walked over to Ria and kissed her. "And if you start to panic while we are having sex? You don't think that will set back your recovery? You don't think that it will cause you more pain than you are already in? And if this first time is a bust...do you think that we will ever be able to get back to this point?" Cal wanted her to really think this through before they made this move.

Ria took off her robe and dropped it to the floor. She then pulled the navy blue night gown over her head and dropped it on the floor as well. "I want you..." said Ria taking his hand and pulling him over to his bed.

* * *

The next morning Cal was awakened by the sound of his cell phone ringing incessantly. He groaned softly and glanced over at the nightstand with one eye open. He grabbed his cell phone and answered it. "What do you want?" asked Cal in a voice heavy with sleep. He struggled to stay awake to even hear the caller's response.

"Cal, it is 10:00 in the morning. When were you planning on coming in this morning? Agent Dillon called the office fifteen minutes ago to let us know that he'd be transporting the two suspects here in about an hour. You need to get here so that you can do the questioning. Ria hasn't made it in yet either...I don't think it is a good idea to have her in the same building with her attacker..." said Gillian. Though she wondered what he had done the previous night to prompt him to sleep all morning.

Cal groaned and said "Alright I will be in soon, love. Get Loker to warm them up if I am not there when they arrive. You are right she shouldn't be there...why don't you stop by here and pick her up to pursue the Danforth case. I came up with a new angle last night when we were discussing the case. Ria can fill you in on that when you pick her up."

"Okay...sure I can do that. I'll be there around 11:30 or so...but you really need to get in here now, Cal. You don't want to keep Agent Dillon waiting...well, maybe you do but you shouldn't." corrected Gillian. She knew that Cal liked to piss of Agent Dillon just because he could but if they wanted to solve this case and get a dangerous rapist off of the street Cal needed to play nice.

"I will be there on time, love." said Cal. Cal ended the call and set his cell phone back on the nightstand. He yawned slightly and looked down at Ria fast asleep with her head resting on his bare chest. A sheet haphazardly draped across her nude body was the only thing covering her. Cal kissed the top of her head and gently slipped out of the bed. He pulled on his boxers and quietly crept into the bathroom to get a shower.

Ria woke up while Cal was in the shower. She sat up in the bed and gathered the sheet around her more to cover herself. She glanced over at the clock and groaned softly. She couldn't believe that they were so late for work. Foster would know for sure that there was something going on between the two of them.

Cal walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "I am glad that you are awake, love. Gillian, will be over here in about an hour. You will be going with her over to the Danforth house to talk to the client. I am going to be heading into the office after I finish getting ready." Cal dried off and finished getting dressed.

Ria nodded and said "Okay...I should get a shower then. I am already late for work. I hope my boss won't mind." Ria climbed out of the bed with a chuckle.

Cal smirked and said "I don't think he will mind at all. Your boss is a man that understands sleeping in after a night like we had."

Ria chuckled softly and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower.

Cal finished getting dressed and then grabbed his keys and wallet and left the house before Ria even got out of the shower

As always Gillian was on time arriving at Cal's house to pick up Ria. She knocked on the door waiting for an answer.

Ria was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee when she heard Gillian arrive. She popped the top on her travel mug and hurried to the door with her purse. She opened the door and smiled. "Hi Foster." said Ria. She locked the front door and dropped her keys in the purse. "Thanks for coming to pick me up this morning." said Ria

Gillian offered a smile. "Good morning Ria. How are you feeling?" Gillian walked with her out to the car. "It is no problem I was glad to pick you up. Lightman, mentioned some theory the two of you came up with last night about our client."

"I am feeling very good...I feel like today is going to be a good day." said Ria. She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. Her night with Cal had been everything she hoped for and more. She tried to scale back her happiness knowing that Gillian would read into it. "Well, Cal and I were discussing the case..." Ria paused hearing herself causally call Lightman: Cal. She climbed into the car to recover her sense and her composure. "We were talking about the case and Lightman mentioned that the client might have the most to gain from the component being missing from his invention...without the component it is worthless...complete it is worth several million dollars. With a divorce most likely on the horizon he might just be waiting his wife out..." said Ria putting on her seatbelt and drinking from her travel mug.

Gillian climbed into the car and put on her own seat belt. She heard Ria call Lightman by his first name but didn't comment on it. She listened to Ria rattle off the information and said "That makes more sense than any of the other likely suspects that we've been looking at. They all benefit from him selling the invention not sabotaging it...and hiring us keeps everyone off his back and keeps the police out of it. Well, I think it is time that we paid Mr. Danforth a little visit."


	7. Chapter 7

Cal walked in the room looking at the cube. He saw Loker pacing the floor and quirked an eyebrow at the young man. "How long have they been here?" asked Cal wondering if Loker had been in the cube yet.

Loker looked at Cal and couldn't even try to hide his contempt for the man that he considered his mentor. Loker had been falling in love with Ria and now they were friends at best...co-workers at worst. He could see the way that Ria and Lightman looked at one another. He knew the truth even if no one verbalized it in the office. Over the last month Loker's relationship with Lightman had began to deteriorate and he was once again considering offering his skills to another firm. Loker realized that he was just glaring at Lightman. "They've only been here for ten minutes. They are ready for you." Loker handed him a file folder with information on both suspects.

"There something you want to say to me, boyo?" asked Lightman cocking his head to the side.

"You are a lot of things and most of them are bad. But I respected you because you've always been straight up. You know how I feel about Ria. I love her and you are doing...whatever you are doing with her...my letter of resignation is on your desk. I'll be leaving in three weeks," said Loker.

Cal nodded and walked into the cube where the two suspects were currently across the table from one another. He looked back and forth between the two men noting that one man looked much more nervous than the other. Cal didn't say anything he just looked between the two of them watching their reactions to his staring at them. "My friend Bernerd here seems to think that only one of you have been committing these crimes...that only one of you is involved." said Cal purposely mispronouncing Agent Dillon's name.

A microsmile formed on the older of the two suspects' face. He was the one that had seemed calm from the very beginning. His hands were folded on top of themselves and resting on the table.

Cal walked over and stood behind the chair of the older suspect. The man was about 6'3' 200 lbs with black hair that was starting to gray at the sides. Clay chuckled and said, "But my friend Bernerd is wrong as he normally is...because there is more than one perpetrator in this room. You and your buddy across the table over there are equally responsible. The difference is that your friend over there feels guilty and you...well there is a look of pride on your face."

The man's expression quickly changed as he tried to mask his true emotions.

Cal laughed and said, "You are proud don't try to hide it. You are proud of raping and terrorizing innocent women..." Cal opened one of the file folders in his hand. "Daniel Greene 44 years old...let's see you've been convicted of sexual assault, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery. You've been in prison more than you've been free...but you've stepped into the big leagues...because once the feds convict you...they are never going let you go. But you Sean Monroe. I am trying to figure out why you are involved in this. You are a god kid. You've never been arrested. Why would you become a rapist? Or help one?"

Sean spoke up. "I never..." Sean was about 24 years old. He was a plain looking sort of young man. Sean was tall and lanky and didn't look like he'd been in a fight his entire life.

"Shut up!" said Daniel Greene glaring at the younger man.

Cal chuckled and said "Oi! What are you listening to this bloke for? He isn't going to serve your time for you. And he isn't going to be able to protect you in prison. You'll be fair game to everyone in there that is stronger than you. You are going to prison there is no question in that, boyo. But the question is can the feds put you in protective custody so you don't become anyone's bitch." Cal could see the look in the young man's eyes he knew that he was ready to cave in.

"I swear I didn't know...I...I didn't know..." said Sean in tears. The young man rested his head on the table. He couldn't believe that his life was over.

"Don't you open your mouth! If you do you're dead! Do you hear me? They've got nothing. Don't you open your mouth you little bastard! I'll kill you and your sister!" screamed Daniel trying to lunge across the table at the younger man.

Agent Dillon motioned for the two agents standing outside of the cube. As they entered he said, "Get this one out of here."

The two agents wrestled the large man out of the room and subdued him.

Cal had a seat across from Sean and said "Now you are here with just us...he can't hurt you..."

Agent Dillon said, "If your information is good and we can verify that you played little to no role in this crime spree the AUSA might just cut you some slack. He might even cut you loose, but you tell us the truth...all of the truth. Dr. Lightman will know if you are holding back." Dillon was excited knowing this case could be a bump to his career.

"I swear I didn't know that he was raping women. Danny is my sister's husband. Danny works for a maintenance company that services buildings in the D.C. metro area. Six months ago my sister, Viola, called me in a panic. She told me that Danny had lost the master keys to the buildings he was in charge of. She was scared that he was going to lose his job. Later that same week she called me back and said that he found his keys, but he was afraid he might lose them again. She asked me if I could make copies so that if he ever lost them again he wouldn't be in trouble. I told her that I couldn't do it, but she's my sister you know and she was crying...saying that if I didn't make the copies...that Danny was going to hurt her. I told her no. I didn't believe that Danny would really hurt her, but he dragged her down to my shop and he beat my sister in front of me. He broke her arm. I was scared that he was going to kill us both. So, I copied the keys for him...all of them. I know it was wrong, but that is all I did and I swear I didn't know what they were for."

Agent Dillon nodded to Lightman and the two men walked out of the cube together. "Are you sure that he had nothing to do with this?"

"I am positive. He is showing real fear and real remorse. It doesn't appear that he is holding anything back. But with a record how was Daniel able to get his job?" asked Cal feeling anger rising in him.

"He used a fake name and a fake social security number. That is why we missed him when we checked out all of the usual suspects the first time around. His sheet was clean. It wasn't until we put everyone's pictures through facial recognition that we got a hit," said Agent Dillon. "Is Torres any closer to being a complaining witness? So far only four of the victims are willing to come forward. I'd like to convict him for as many of these attacks as I can."

Cal shook his head. "I don't think that I will be able to convince her to come forward. She is only just now getting over the trauma. She's a proud woman, but she's also scared and she's not willing to reopen the wounds that are just starting to heal. And I have no attention of trying to force her to do so, Bernerd."

"Maybe the agency's psychiatrist could talk to her...not just to get her to testify but also to help her..." said Agent Dillon.

"I will talk to her and see if she is interested but I don't think that she will be," said Cal.

"Alright, I am going to get the two of them out of here and back to lock up while I talk to the Assistant Attorney General..." said Agent Dillon. He nodded to the FBI agents and they started escorting the men out of the room.

Ria walked into the building. "Foster, it will only take a couple of minutes and then we can leave back out. I need my files." Ria was about to walk into her office when she saw two men being escorted out of the building.

Daniel Greene smirked seeing Ria.

Lightman spotted Ria and said, "Oi! Get in here. I need to talk to you, love."

Ria stood frozen for a moment. There was something about the man that was very familiar.

"Now!" yelled Lightman to get her attention.

"Uh...okay," said Ria walking into Lightman's office. "Who was that man?" asked Ria.

Lightman closed the door behind them and said, "That is the case that I was working on this morning. Why aren't you with Foster?"

Ria said, "I needed to come back here to get the files on the Danforth case. What case are you working?" She was getting agitated since Lightman was obviously avoiding telling her what was going on.

Lightman said, "Loker is quitting his job."

"What?" asked Ria thrown off track momentarily. "Why would he do something that stupid? He loves working for you. He worships you."

"Well, it seems the lad is in love with you. And he finds working here untenable," said Lightman glad that his last minute distraction had worked. He picked up Loker's letter of resignation.

"That is crazy! He loves working here. He does good work here...I need to talk to Loker. But I haven't forgotten about this..." said Ria accusingly. She snatched the letter from his hand

She took off to find Loker and found him in the breakroom. "What the hell are you thinking, Loker?" asked Ria slamming the letter on a table.

"I am thinking that I want a blueberry muffin," quipped Loker holding a muffin in his hand. He eyed his letter and said, "I see Lightman told you."

"Why are you quitting, Loker? You love this job more than anything," said Ria in an exasperated voice.

Loker walked over to her and looked into her eyes. "Not more than I love you, Ria."

Ria laughed nervously. She didn't even know what to say to that. Ria cleared her throat and said, "Loker, you broke up with me. You couldn't handle me and all of my crazy. And I can't say that I blame you because I am crazy."

"You were freaking out because you were attacked and you couldn't bring yourself to tell me about it. I let you down. But I can't watch you with Lightman when I still love you, Ria. So, I think it is time that I move on. I've been threatening to break out on my own for awhile now. I think it is time," said Loker. He sat down at a table eating his muffin.

"My problems just don't stop there. I have a lot of them and I probably always will. And as much as you cared about me you never understood them. You never understood me. Cal does...he understands what it is like to cower in fear from someone that is supposed to love you. He understands why I don't really trust anyone," said Ria. She had a knot in the pit of her stomach. Ria didn't want Loker to quit because of her.

Loker shook his head standing up and said, "You trusted him. When you couldn't trust me! I was there, Ria. I wanted to help you. I kept asking you what was wrong and you kept pushing me away! I would have helped you through this. I would have been by your side! What makes Lightman so different!"

"Because he's screwed up too! I don't have to pretend to be normal with him. He knows I'm not. He sees me for who I really am. Not the role I play here at work for everyone else. Or the role I play for my sister. He knows the ugliest parts of me and he loves me anyway. I could never be my true self with you because you are so sweet and so good. And so normal. I was always scared that I was going to scare you away," said Ria touching his cheek. "You deserve someone that doesn't have nightmares at night. You deserve someone that isn't carrying years of baggage on her back. You deserve someone that isn't broken inside. Because I am, Loker," said Ria.

"I know that you are broken. Maybe I didn't know before, but I can see that now. But I believe that you are loveable that your are fixable. Being with Lightman is only going to hurt you. He's going to break your heart," said Loker.

Ria shook her head and said, "And that is why we can't be together. Because you foolishly think that I am fixable. A house built on brittle foundation, no matter how pretty it looks, is doomed to fall apart. You trying to fix me would only drag you down."

"We were happy, Ria. We had a future together. I love you. I wanted to make you my wife. Remember we talked about kids. You'd be such a great mom...is Lightman going to give you kids?" asked Loker. "If you are so unfixable then why did you share your dreams with me? Being a mother? Being a wife? Going to college?"

"I don't want children anymore," said Ria with confidence though her face showed her lies. "Being with you made me believe that all of that was possible. You gave me hope, Eli. But then...I was attacked in my own home. And I was humiliated and violated. And I realized that I was just as broken as I had always been. And I started to wonder what about me...made me a victim. I just want a quiet happy life. Not complicated. And I'll have that with Lightman. He makes me so happy. I feel loved and safe and I love him. I want you to find the same for yourself. But you shouldn't have to quit your job to do that," said Ria.

"Coming here every day seeing you with him I just can't do that," said Loker.

Ria sighed. "I am not going to let you throw your life away, Loker. I am bad news and eventually you will realize that. So, let me make it easy on you. I'll be the one to quit. Effective immediately..." Ria walked out of the breakroom and went to her office. She started packing her things.

Foster walked into Ria's office. "Are you ready to go?"

Ria said, "I am sorry, Foster. But I quit. Eli can't work with me here so it is time that I leave. I'll let Lightman know."

Foster stood there stunned but turned and walked out of the room. She stormed down to Lightman's office and said, "Way to go, Cal…"

Lightman had his feet propped up on his desk. He looked up and asked, "What have I done now, love?"

"Loker is quitting and so is Ria. Remember when I told you that sleeping with Ria was a bad idea?" asked Gillian angrily.

"I have the Loker situation under control…" Lightman's face sobered when he heard that Ria was quitting. "What?"

"She is clearing out her office right now." said Gillian.

Lightman stood up from his desk and walked down the hall to Ria's office. He leaned against the door frame. "What are you doing?" asked Lightman.

Ria hastily wiped away her tears. "I am quitting. This job is Loker's life and he is walking away from it because of me. So, I figure if I quit then I won't be here to break his heart."

"Loker isn't going to quit. I am going to convince him to stay," said Lightman.

"How?" asked Ria still packing.

Cal walked over and gently stopped her from packing. "I am going to give him the promotion he's been waiting on. He's going to get his own team and be able to work his own cases."

"Do you really think that will work?" asked Ria.

Lightman pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly. "Yes, I believe that it will work." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips and just held her against him.

"I feel like I can't get anything right," whispered Ria after the kiss. "I am happy with you but now I am about to lose a friend because…I'm happy. He just doesn't understand that I am broken…he thinks that I am fixable and I'm not."

"I'll take care of everything. He won't be able to resist the job offer. And hating me might be good for him. He won't look up to me as much. It is time he learned how to become his own man and not just my protégé." said Lightman. "Sometimes the broken things are the most beautiful and deserving for love."

Ria laughed softly and smiled at him. "That is a very sweet thing for you to say." Ria asked, "Are you going to tell me who those guys were?"

He cocked his head to the side a moment trying to think of the right way to say it. "We think he is the man responsible for your attack," said Lightman as gently as he could manage.

Ria's eyes widened and her breathing picked up realizing that she had been in the same room with him and didn't even know it. A sick feeling came over her face. Ria's hand shot to her mouth and ran from her office to the bathroom getting sick.


	8. Chapter 8

Lightman walked up the stairs to his bedroom wondering what sort of state Ria would be in. That morning she'd left work early after finding out that the suspect in her rape was in FBI custody. Cal had watched helplessly as the young woman he'd come to love broke down. His first instinct had been to follow Ria home. But his better judgment told him that she needed time alone.

Cal took in a deep breath and pushed the bedroom door open. His heart dropped seeing Ria lying in a fetal position in the center of his bed. She was soaked as if she'd just finished showering. He could see a slightly irritated look to her skin as if she'd scrubbed too hard or perhaps had the water too hot. "Ria?" asked Cal in a quiet voice as he made his way over to the bed.

Ria tiredly opened her red rimmed eyes and glanced at Lightman. She felt ill seeing the intense concern in the older man's eyes. Her eyes fluttered closed again, unwilling to deal with him at the moment. She'd spent the better part of the day curled up in a ball. Afterward she spent nearly an hour in the shower with the water as hot as she could stand it. She used an exfoliating brush on her body trying to scrub away the past. But even now she could still feel it on her.

"I should have told you. I know that now. I was just worried about how you'd take it. Hindsight is 20/20." He had a seat next to her on the bed and reached out to caress her hair.

Ria cringed and moved away from his touch. She didn't want to be touched by anyone right now. Not even Lightman. She felt sick and dirty. But most of all she felt completely helpless all over again. "I don't know if telling me would have made it any better. Either way I'd be a mess right now. Timing has nothing to do with this."

"I tried to keep you out of the office on purpose. I wasn't sure if he was the perpetrator beforehand, but I didn't want to take that chance. You coming in anyway definitely wasn't in my plans."

Ria said, "I had really crappy timing. Story of my life I suppose."

"You had a feeling about Greene as soon as you saw him this morning. What about him tipped you off. Did you recognize him?" asked Cal.

He wondered if Ria hadn't been completely honest about not seeing her attacker.

Ria was quiet for a moment. She closed her eyes thinking about the encounter. "The way he smiled at me…"

Cal watched a shiver travel down her body. He closed his eyes momentarily trying to force his own emotions down. Cal couldn't give in to his own rage. He needed to focus on Ria. "What do you mean, Ria? What happened when you saw him this morning?"

She was quiet for a minute as if she was gathering her thoughts. In actuality she was trying to talk without bursting in tears.

"It was like he could see through my clothes. It was like he could see through me. He was smiling at me but he had a microexpression of contempt. I felt dirty even before I knew who he was. I can't explain it any better than that. But mostly it was his eyes. They looked really familiar to me."

Cal wondered what the contempt was about. Rapist generally committed their crimes to wield power over their victims. Greene felt the profile of a rapist in every way. He had several harassment claims. He had an arson charge on his record.

"After you told me who he was…I am just glad that I didn't know at the time. I don't know that I would have been able to contain myself. I might have done something stupid. Something that I couldn't take back," said Ria.

She could see the pictures in her mind like an old silent movie. How many times had she imagined making her rapist pay for his sins? And she had been mere inches away from him today. She'd been close enough to reach out and touch him. Worse yet he had been close enough to touch her. That thought sent a wave of nausea rolling through her exhausted body. It just reminded her of how helpless she really was. She was tired of being someone's victim.

Cal couldn't judge her for that reaction. He'd had much of the same when he realized he was standing in front of the perpetrator. But he'd been able to restrain himself because he wanted the bastard in prison. He didn't want to do anything to screw up the case. "How many times have you showered?" asked Cal. His eyes scanned over her skin seeing the abuse she'd subjected herself to.

He kicked off his shoes and scooted back on the bed so that he was leaning against the headboard. Cal was careful to keep his distance from Ria. He didn't want to startle her. Cal could tell how fragile she was at the moment.

"I stayed in the shower until the water turned ice cold. I would have stayed in there longer but I started shivering too much to stand it any longer. I thought that I was okay now, Cal. I don't understand this," said Ria in a quiet voice.

"It is going to take time for you to completely heal from this. This isn't something that you just get over. But you've been putting in the work. You've been going to your therapy sessions twice a week even though you hate going there and talking. Ria, you just have to keep dealing with it. You have to keep trying to get better. You can't hide from what happened to you," said Cal.

"I just want to forget it ever happened. I want to live my life. I want to stop thinking about why this happened to me. Is there some sign on me that says: 'hurt me', 'abuse me', or 'use me'?"

"I talked to Bernard this afternoon. Greene is going to be arraigned on eleven counts of sexual assault across four state lines. Not to mention one charge of kidnapping. His trial is going to be very public especially on the Beltway. He attacked a couple of aides. If you don't get a handle on this it will come up every time you see anything about him or this case. This can't be what you want," said Cal. He wanted Ria to be prepared for what the immediate future held.

"I don't know how to make it stop. I don't know how to make it better. I thought that I was better. I felt better. I felt happy with you. And now I feel…like the rug has been pulled from under me. I feel like I am back at square one. It isn't fair."

Cal moved closer to Ria and said, "You are not back at square one. You are here with me instead of back at your apartment trying to hide from the world. And you are right, this isn't fair. This shouldn't have happened to you or any of the other women. But you are going to make it through this. Just keep working on the therapy. That is what is going to help you get passed this. And me."

Ria looked at in Lightman's direction and asked, "And you?" She laid her head on Cal's knee. Ria wanted his comfort and yet couldn't bring herself to ask for it. She needed to be drunk to show that sort of courage.

He reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "And me. I'll be here for whatever you need. All you have to do is tell me what you need. Or what you don't need."

"So, me freaking out doesn't make you want to run in the opposite direction?" asked Ria sarcastically. But beneath the sarcasm was a truly scared woman that was worried she'd lose the one person that made this ordeal bearable.

"I am not going anywhere, Ria. I am going to take care of you. Nothing is going to scare me off. Do you want something to eat? Have you eaten at all today? "

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry. I just want to lay here for awhile. I feel so drained from all of the crying. I think maybe if I could just get a nap I might feel a little better."

"Okay, try to get some rest." He kissed the top of her head and relaxed against the headboard. Cal reached for the remote and turned the television to a soccer match.

Ria glanced in his direction and realized that he wasn't leaving her. That was a source of comfort. She closed her eyes tiredly and tried to get a nap. Ria had been too paranoid earlier to fall asleep in the empty house.

Cal watched the match trying not to stare at Ria as she tried to rest. He wondered how he'd be able to get her through this. The next couple of months would be absolute hell as this case was splashed all over the news.

A couple hours later Cal's cell phone started ringing. He answered quickly hoping the ringing didn't interrupt Ria's peaceful sleep. "Hello?"

"Lightman, this is Agent Dillon. I am parked outside. I need to talk to you in person, now."

Cal frowned as he noted the urgency in Bernard's voice. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

He ended the call and slipped out of the bed without waking Ria. Cal walked out of the room closing the bedroom door behind him and quickly jogged down the stairs. He opened the door to see Bernard standing there impatiently. "Come in before you piss your pants."

Bernard walked into the house and said, "I've got some bad news. We arraigned Daniel Greene this evening and then we were going to transport him to a federal facility. Two of my agents were transporting him to the facility when their car was hit by a drunk driver. Greene managed to escape from custody while the two agents were incapacitated."

That information nearly knocked Cal off of his feet. He stared at Bernard for a moment trying to find the words. "How long as he been on the run?"

"Two hours. I was hoping to tell you after we found him, but Greene is in the wind. We are putting a warning out to the public. I wanted you to hear it from me so that you can prepare Torres for the news. She shouldn't have to hear about this from the television news."

Cal wanted to scream at Bernard for screwing up, but instead he asked "How are your two agents?"

"Agent Rogers is in stable condition. Agent Morgan is intensive care. His side of the car took the majority of the impact."

"Is there any way that this was a planned assault?" asked Cal.

"We are looking into all of the angles, but at the moment it appears that it was just a drunk driver that crossed the center line and hit the car head on. Greene wasn't allowed to make any phone calls. His lawyer is a public defender. He was held in a private holding cell. He wouldn't have had contact with anyone to plan anything," Bernard explained.

"Well, I hope that both of your agents pull through. Thank you for coming by to tell me this in person. I should go tell, Torres." Although, Cal had no idea how he'd go about doing that.

Bernard said, "As soon as I know anything…I will give you a call with an update." He walked out of the house.

Cal stood there in shock staring at the closed the door. He locked the door and then walked into the kitchen grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. He poured a relatively tall glass and started drinking it. He called Gillian on his cell phone.

"Cal, has Agent Dillon been there to see you?" asked Gillian in a worried voice. Bernard had stopped by the office first looking for Lightman.

"He just left a couple of minutes ago," Lightman replied.

"Have you had a chance to tell Ria yet?"

"No, Bernard hasn't been gone that long and she's still sleeping right now. She was so exhausted earlier. I don't feel right waking her up with this sort of news. Ria was too afraid to fall asleep earlier because of what happened today. If she finds out that this maniac is running free…I don't know what she will do," explained Cal tiredly.

"Do you want me to come over and help you tell her? It might be useful to have a mental health professional on hand to help Ria process the news," said Gillian.

"No, I don't think that I am going to tell her right away. I think I am going to take Ria to Chicago for a couple of days to get her out of the city and away from all of the news. She is hanging on by a thread as it is, Gillian. This might just push her over the edge."

"What? You can't just not tell her, Cal. She has a right to know about Daniel Greene being on the run. You can't just run away from the problem."

"I am not intending to run away from the problem. I will tell her once we are safely in Chicago. I think it will help take some of the fear out of the situation. He isn't going to find her in Chicago. He doesn't even know to look for her there. She can feel safe."

Gillian could see Cal's logic in this situation. However, she had the feeling that it could all go really wrong if he withheld the truth from Ria. The last thing she needed was to feel like she couldn't trust Lightman. "Won't she be suspicious if you just ask her to go to Chicago out of the blue?"

"No, I can be honest and say that I think she needs time away from the city. And while we are in Chicago we can hang out with Emily. Ria was worried that it would be strange for Emily to come home and realize that she was living with us. This way we can break the news in Chicago with Zoe there for support for Emily. Two birds…one stone," Cal insisted.

Gillian was briefly stunned into silence. "Ria is still going to live with you once Emily comes home?"

"Of course, I wasn't about to kick her out. Emily is more than old enough to understand that my girlfriend is moving in with us. I talked to Zoe about Ria a week ago so it wouldn't come as a surprise when Emily told her about the situation."

Gillian held the phone silently. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around this situation.

"I called to make sure that you and Loker could handle things at the office while Ria and I are out of town. I expect to be gone for about a week," Cal said.

"Yes, we'll be fine. Loker and I wrapped up the Danforth case today. We should be able to handle everything that comes through the office while you are away. Do you need anything, Cal?"

"Thanks, Love. I've got go. I'll call you when we make it to Chicago."

"Take care of her, Cal." Gillian ended the call still in shock.

Cal took his glass of whiskey and went to his home office. He sat behind his desk and looked for flights to book for that night.

Two hours later Ria started to wake up from her nap. She rolled over looking for Cal.

Cal was sitting against the headboard watching a movie. He glanced over feeling Ria moving in bed. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

"I was just tired, I guess," said Ria. She sat up in the bed and moved next to Cal. Ria leaned her head on Cal's shoulder. She felt a little better now that she'd had several hours of uninterrupted sleep. Ria felt a little less distraught. However, her stomach still turned thinking about being in the same room with her rapist.

Cal said, "I bought two tickets to Chicago for us. Our flight leaves tonight. I booked a suite at the Ritz. You'll enjoy yourself in Chicago. It is a nice place."

Ria blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong with Emily?"

"No, I just think it would be a good idea to get away from the city for a couple of days. Today has been very hard on you."

Ria cocked her head to one side looking at Lightman's face. "You're lying about something. You are telling just enough of the truth that it appears real."

Cal's face hardened. He knew that making Ria wonder what he was holding back would only make it worse. Cal he said, "There has been a development in the case. Daniel Greene escaped during transport. I thought getting away for a couple of days would be good. The FBI and local law enforcement in four states are on alert. They are going to find him sooner rather than later. But in the mean time…"

Ria's jaw fell slack and a sick look washed over her face. The man that raped her was on the loose free to rape other women or perhaps come after her again. She shot out of the bed like a lightning bolt and locked herself in the bathroom.

Cal gave her 10 minutes before he knocked on the bathroom door. "Ria?"

She opened the door after having splashed some water on her face. "When do we leave?" asked Ria.

"Our flight leaves out of Dulles at Midnight. We should land at O'hare International sometime after 2," said Cal.

Ria was quiet for a moment. "I should start packing." She slid passed Cal unwilling to talk about what she was feeling in the moment. Ria could see from his microexpressions that he was going to want to delve into how she was feeling. She could see the remorse in his expression.

Cal watched Ria move stoically around their bedroom as she packed a suitcase. "I was thinking that we could stop for dinner in the District before we get on our flight. You haven't eaten since this morning. You have to be hungry."

Ria shook her head. "I am not feeling hungry. I feel like if I eat something I might throw it back up. I don't understand how something like this happens. He's on the loose free to hurt anyone he wants. He's raped 11 women…12 if you count me. He isn't going to stop until someone stops him." She sighed heavily and went back to packing her suitcase.

"He won't be able to evade capture for long. Bernard is releasing a warning to the public. He will be found and soon," said Cal.

Ria squinted and said, "You don't believe that. Don't lie to me, Lightman. I've always been able to tell when you were lying to me. I'm a natural."

"You're much more than that, now. You've gone out of your way to learn the science behind microexpressions."

Ria smiled slightly. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Ria stood out on the balcony of their upscale Chicago hotel room wearing a t-shirt and a pair of boyshorts. She leisurely enjoyed a cup of coffee and the sound of cars zipping along the street below her. It was only 7:00 in the morning but Ria couldn't lay in the bed any longer. Try as she might sleep was evading her. The idea of dreaming about Daniel Greene was too big of a deterrent. So she'd laid in bed moving about trying to find sleep that would not come. The last thing she wanted to do was wake Cal up from what seemed to be a restful sleep.

For the last hour Ria had wracked her brain trying to decide if she should go to the police and make a formal report about her attack. Reading the newspaper that morning had broken her heart. Daniel Greene was responsible for a dozen sexual assaults. Everyone was speculating that the number was higher than that. They were calling him a serial rapist. The sensationalizing of the case had already begun.

More than anything she wanted to be strong and stand up for herself. She wanted Daniel to be held accountable for what he did to her. But at the same time she couldn't imagine having to recount the most painful night of her life to a room full of strangers. A room full of strangers that would be judging her, not Daniel Greene. They would be deciding if they believed her story. If they believed the fact that Daniel Green broke into her apartment and violated her in the most horrible way that any woman could be violated. There would be questions about why she didn't report the rape immediately.

In a matter of an hour this man had shredded the dignity and self-confidence that she'd spent years trying to build after being abused by her father. He turned her entire world upside down and she wanted him to pay for that. But being under scrutiny scared her more than anything. She sighed softly and sipped more of her coffee.

Ria had a seat on a chaise lounge and curled up tiredly. She let the street noises soothe her into a relaxed state.

Cal walked out onto the balcony wearing a pair of boxers and a white tank top. He yawned tiredly and walked behind Ria. Cal kissed the top of her head and asked, "Did you get any sleep?"

Ria shook her head slightly. "I couldn't get comfortable."

He frowned and then offered a chuckle. "I don't need to see your face to know that is a lie. Ria, if you were afraid you could have woke me up. You didn't have to be alone."

"I wasn't afraid. Not while I was awake, anyway. I know that I am perfectly safe here. Daniel Greene isn't lurking behind the curtains waiting to pounce on me. But when I am asleep…I am at his mercy. He can invade my dreams and I just can't handle that right now. Anyway, I had a pretty substantial nap last night. I should be okay for now. You on the other hand have only had a couple hours of sleep. Why are you awake?"

Cal had a seat at the end of the chaise lounge. "Gillian called and woke me up a couple minutes ago. She wanted to let me know that Loker has accepted my job proposal. As if there was any doubt that he would. He's wanted his own team for a very long time. And better still he is deserving of his own team."

Ria smiled. "Well, that is good news. I didn't want to have to make good on my word about quitting, but I would have. The Lightman Group is Eli's life. He loves working at the Lightman Group, but most of all he loves working for you. I suppose that is why dating the people you work with is a bad idea."

Cal chuckled at that idea. "In the same vein it is probably a bad idea to date a young woman that works for you and is half your age. At least that is what Foster tells me."

"No, I guess it wouldn't be a great idea. If it all went to hell I could sue you for sexual harassment," joked Ria as she finished her cup of coffee. Her eyes moved up so that there were fixed on Cal's face. "Thank you for offering Loker his own team. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if he'd given up his dream because of me. He deserves better than that. He deserves to be happy."

"Do you think this is a mistake, Love?" asked Cal. There was no malice or judgment in his voice. He knew that Ria had been through the wringer emotionally and psychologically. Gillian had warned him on more than one occasion that his relationship with Ria was unhealthy.

Ria shook her head and asked, "Why would you ask that?"

"Your feelings for Loker seem to be very strong. He is closer to your age. I could understand if he was more in line with what you want. You both seem to love one another," said Cal. He had never known Loker to stand up to him for any reason. But the young man had read Lightman the riot act for moving in on Torres. What he assumed was a casual string of hook-ups turned out to be a fairly serious relationship.

Ria frowned slightly. "I care about Loker, a lot. He has been a great friend and he was a caring boyfriend. But we weren't what I would call a great romance. He and I fell together because we worked insane hours that limited the time we had to date other people. Loker might love me but I don't love him."

"Well, let's be honest you and I started seeing one another because you needed something to cling to. You were quite lost at the time. You told me that you felt safe with me. You were in a place in your life when you needed to feel like you were with someone that could protect you," said Cal.

Ria shook her head and looked into Cal's eyes. "I was attracted to you long before this situation came up. Even when I couldn't stand being around you…I was very attracted to you. And the more that I got to know you, the more I realized how amazing you were. Sure, I threw myself at you while I was drunk. But that wasn't false affection. That was me finding liquid courage to tell you how I really felt about you. I couldn't imagine that you'd ever be interested in me. I guess I should be asking you if you think this is a mistake…"

She tried to hide her true feelings but Ria had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wondered if Cal was trying to dump her now that Daniel Greene was soon to stand trial for his crimes. The threat to her would soon be over. Ria knew how guilty Cal felt for not realizing that she was in so much emotional pain. It took him back to the suicide of his own mother.

He reached out and caressed her cheek. "If this is a mistake…it is one that I am glad that we are making. I've been thinking that you might want to move in with me permanently."

Surprise registered on Ria's face almost immediately. "I…I would have never expected you to ask me to move in for good. Are you sure? What about Emily?"

"Well, if we are going to give this relationship a real go, why not? And it isn't as if you are ever going to feel safe staying in that apartment. Why not move your things into my house."

She chuckled and said, "I am not used to you being quite this logical. You always border on the psychotic. You are right…I will never feel safe in that apartment. I think continuing to stay there after being raped contributed to my fear and paranoia. But if we don't work out…I'm effectively homeless."

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, I've trusted you since I started working for you. I never knew what to expect out of your but I always felt like you would look out for me. I guess I needed that after everything I've been through," said Ria.

"Then you should know that I wouldn't kick you out on the streets if we broke up. I'd give you time to find another place to live."

Ria smiled at him. "Okay, let's do it."

"Good, when we get back to D.C. we'll get you packed up and moved into my house."

"You never did answer my question about Emily…"

Cal said, "We will have brunch with Emily and Zoe tomorrow morning. I've already set it up with Zoe. We can all tell Emily about the relationship. I don't think she is going to have a problem with us dating."

"How do you think Emily is going to take the news?" Ria asked in a worried voice.

"Emily is a big girl. She is old enough to know that I am dating you. And she's bound to notice that fact when she comes home and sees that you are living in our house and sleeping in my bedroom," Cal quipped with a smirk.

Ria rolled her eyes at Lightman's matter-of-fact tone. "Not everyone refuses to deal with their emotions like you do, Lightman. Emily might have some extreme emotions to this. I don't think that telling her in the middle of a restaurant is a good idea."

"Well, that is why Zoe is joining us for brunch. Just in case I need the back up. But I don't think that I will. Emily likes you, Ria. She likes hanging out with you," said Cal.

Ria chuckled. "There is a difference between liking your father's work colleague and being okay with her dating your father and moving into your house. She might like to hang out with me but this might be a little much for her."

Cal chuckled amused by the nervousness he was picking up from her. "It will be fine. You are making a big deal out of nothing at all. You have my word. How are you feeling?"

"I feel good. I am glad that we aren't in D.C. right now. Any word from the FBI about Greene?" asked Ria.

He shook his head. "No, but Bernard said that he'd call me when Greene was apprehended. I'll call him later today to see if he's made any progress."

"Thank you, Cal."

"No need. I am glad to be able to help you. Besides, the upside is that I get to come here and check up on Emily. She's been enjoying her time here with Zoe. I am wondering if she's decided to go to school here in Chicago. She's turned several schools with Zoe."

Ria frowned and asked, "How do you feel about that Emily moving so far away from you?"

"I can't say that I'd be a fan of that, but at least she'd be in the same city with Zoe. She'll be an adult about anything can happen. I'd feel better knowing that she is in the city with at least one of us," said Cal.

"Well, that is understandable. Anything can happen even when you think you are safe. Even when you think you've done everything right." Ria closed her eyes a moment to shake off the wave of sadness and anger that was attempting to wash over her.

Cal kissed her forehead. "Are you hungry? We should order room service. You didn't eat anything last night."

Ria said, "I was sick to my stomach for most of last night. I guess nerves can do that to you. Breakfast sounds really good. I'll go inside and get the menu." She climbed off of the chaise and walked into the hotel room.

She came back out with the room service menu. "What are your plans for the day?" Ria curled up on the chaise lounge as she perused menu.

"I don't have any plans. Why do you ask? Do you have plans?" asked Cal winking at her.

Ria said, "I was thinking that we could see some of the city today. I've never really left D.C. before."

"Do you know where you want to go? Shopping? Sight-seeing? Museums?" asked Cal.

"I was actually thinking a little bit of everything. That is if we have time for it. I didn't really ask for many details about this trip before I agreed to it," said Ria chuckling.

"We can spend today doing whatever you want to do. I don't have any plans until tomorrow morning when we have brunch downstairs in the restaurant."

"That is great!" Ria exclaimed in excitedly.

Cal smiled at her enthusiasm. It was something he rarely saw from his protégé. He reached over grabbing the menu from her. "You still haven't chosen something to eat for breakfast?" asked Cal

She laughed at him. "Oh, I already decided what I want. I just forgot to tell you. What do you want?"

Cal just shook his head and glanced over the menu. "I am going to get the steak, eggs, and home style potatoes. And orange juice."

Ria giggled and took the menu back. "Well, I will go and place our orders." She headed back into the hotel room.

Cal stretched out of the chaise lounge and closed his eyes. He was still fairly exhausted seeing as they didn't check into their suite until 3:00 that morning. He'd only slept 3 and ½ hours before Gillian called and woke him up. But he didn't have the heart to tell Ria that the only thing he wanted to do today was sleep in.

Ria walked back onto the balcony and watched Cal quietly for a moment.

"Are you just going to stand there?" asked Cal.

She laughed softly. "You looked so peaceful."

Cal scooted over somewhat and opened his arms. "Come on."

Ria climbed onto the chaise with Cal. She rested her head on his chest and draped one of her legs over his since it was such a small space. But somehow she felt very comfortable. "I was thinking that I would take some kickboxing lessons. My therapist suggested it as a way to feel more empowered. I was thinking of it as more of a self-defense thing. What do you think?"

"I think you should do it if kickboxing will make you feel safer and more in control of yourself. You know I used to do some boxing and bare knuckle fighting. I'd be happy to train with you," said Cal.

Ria lifted her head so that she could look into his eyes. "Really?"

"Sure. Why not?" asked Cal.

Ria grinned slightly.

Cal chuckled at the look on her face. "Salivating over the idea of punching a couple of times, poppet?"

Ria smirked and said, "Well, I can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind a few times in the past. You used to drive me crazy when I first started working for you. I had such a hard time reading you and that made me very…uncomfortable."

"That is understandable. Most natural talents are able to read people out of necessity. Most of the time naturals have been abused and developed that talent of reading people to protect themselves."

"So, it took a lot for me to be comfortable around you. But the longer I was around you the more I was able to read you. Did I get better or?" asked Ria.

He was quiet for a minute. "Some things you could see because I felt things too strongly and I couldn't mask my microexpressions. However, over the time you got better and I did start to let go more. Just like it takes a lot for you to trust…it takes a lot for me to trust too."

"Do you trust me now?"' asked Ria looking into Cal's eyes. Her brown eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I do."

"I trust you, too," said Ria.

He smirked slightly. "I know that you do. I can see it when you look at me." He lightly brushed her hair away from her face.

There was a knock on the door.

Cal said, "That'll be room service." He slid from under Ria and headed into the room.

"Are you going to put on a robe?"

"Why?" asked Cal laughing. He grabbed his wallet and went to the door. He looked out peephole and then opened the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Lightman. I hope that you are enjoying your stay with us," said the waiter. He pushed the cart into the room.

Cal took a couple of bills from his wallet to tip the man. "Yes, we are enjoying our stay. Thank you."

The waiter accepted the money and offered a smile. He walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Cal locked the door and then pushed the cart out onto the balcony.

Ria was already sitting up on the chaise ready to eat breakfast.

Cal had a seat beside her and relaxed and started eating breakfast. "Do you have any idea where you want to go first, today?"

Ria said, "I was thinking we could hit the aquarium and maybe the Museum of Contemporary Art. We could probably grab lunch there at the museum. They have this really great restaurant on the ground floor."

"Sounds good, Love," said Cal with a mouth full of steak and eggs.

Ria shook her head and chuckled.

Ria walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. As she was looking through her suitcase for something to wear Cal's cell phone started ringing. She frowned picking up the cell phone and glancing at the number of the incoming call. Ria walked out onto the balcony. "Foster is calling you." She handed Cal the phone.

Ria walked back into the room to get dressed.

"What is it, love?" asked Cal wondering why Gillian would be calling him for a second time that morning.

"Cal, there was a break-in here some last night. The offices were ransacked and our employee files were rummaged through. Some of them are missing," said Gillian.

Cal stood up with a worried expression on his face. "You aren't there alone are you?" asked Cal.

"No, Loker is here with me and so are the police."

"Okay, well look through the files and see which ones are missing," said Cal. He felt a small sense of relief knowing that Gillian was safe.

Gillian said, "Loker is in the process of doing that now. I think this was Greene. I think he came here looking for a way to find Ria. I've already called agent Dillon with the FBI. Ria's employee file is missing and so is the office contact list. He has everyone's phone numbers and home addresses."

"I want you to be safe. You tell Bernard that I want someone watching you. You could be in danger. I mean it, Gillian. I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks. If anything happened to you…"

"I'll be fine, Cal. I will call you back when I have a list of what else is missing from the office," Gillian said in a somber tone.

Ria walked out onto the balcony dressed in a emerald green summer dress.

"I love you, Gillian," said Cal.

Gillian was shocked into silence. "I love you too, Cal." She ended the call not waiting for him to respond.

Cal walked over to the railing and stood there for a moment.

Ria stood in the doorway biting her lip. She took in a breath and then walked up behind Lightman and asked, "What happened?"

"We are pretty certain that Daniel Greene broke into the office last night and stole your employee file and the office contact list. The police are looking into it," said Cal.

Ria took a step back and sat down on the chaise lounge feeling weak-kneed. She closed her eyes trying to control her heart rate that had suddenly quickened.

Cal stared off of the balcony trying to figure out what to do. He wanted Ria to feel safe and she was certainly doing better in Chicago. But with Gillian potentially in danger he didn't feel right about staying in Chicago.

After several minutes Cal turned around to look at Ria and saw how distraught she looked. He walked toward her.

Ria was able to read his face almost instantly. "I'll go pack." She quickly dried her eyes and headed back inside.

Cal said, "Ria…stop."

"What?"

"We aren't going back today," said Cal.

"You are obviously worried about Foster and you should be. If that psycho has the office contact list he could go after her or any of the other female employees. Everyone could be in danger if he's assembling some sort of hit list. We should be back in D.C. where we belong."

Cal pulled her into his arms and said, "There is no reason for us to go home. The police and the FBI are handling everything. We'll go back as planned in a couple of days. But for today we are going to put D.C. out of our minds and we are going to go to the museum and the aquarium. And then we'll come back here for a much needed nap. And then tonight I am going to take you out for a night on the town."

Ria said, "You are worried…and you should be. I don't want what happened to me to happen to…"

"What could I really do to protect everyone if I was there? Nothing. I wouldn't have the ability to protect every employee. That is a role better left to the police."

"I know that you are worried about everyone. But more specifically you are worried about Foster. I know how much you love her, Lightman. You don't have to pretend otherwise for my benefit," said Ria in a strange voice.

Cal gave her an odd look realizing for the first time that she'd overheard his conversation. "What's going on in that head of yours, Love?"

"Earlier, you asked me if I was in love with Loker. I guess it didn't occur to me to ask if you were in love with Gillian," said Ria.

"I've loved Gillian for a very long time. I can't deny that, but I'm not with her because we aren't right for one another. I don't want a relationship with her. She's a friend that I love; just like you love Loker as friend," said Cal.

Ria asked, "Is that all it is?"

"Am I attracted to her?" asked Cal.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that is what I am asking."

"Of course, she's a beautiful woman. I'd be barmy not to cast my eyes in her direction. I've had my eye on a many a beautiful woman. And you also know my libido. I've been known to be a cock up but I wouldn't have asked you to move in with me if I was in love with Gillian."

Ria smiled a little. "Are you going to get a shower so that we can go to the museum?"

Cal chuckled and said, "Yeah, I guess should, love." He kissed her on the lips and then disappeared into the room.

Ria watched Cal walk away. She wanted to feel certain but suddenly…she didn't feel so certain.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day Ria woke up with a massive hangover. She opened her eyes confused as to where she was right now. The last thing she remembered was leaving a club with Lightman. "Cal?" whispered Ria in a hoarse voice.

She groaned softly as the sunlight briefly blinded her. She sat up on the side of the bed and looked around slowly. It finally dawned on her that she was back in their hotel room. Ria shielded her eyes from the sunlight shining into the room from the balcony. The rest of the drapes were drawn. She swept her wild hair away from her face and winced when her hand grazed the bruise on her cheek.

Ria gingerly climbed out of the bed. Her entire body ached like mad. She limped into the bathroom and splashed water on her face. Ria struggled to piece together the events of the previous night. But at the moment it was all one big blur for her.

She groaned softly seeing the hand sized bruise on her face. Ria wet a towel and gently pressed it to her split lip. "Ow!" she muttered.

Cal and Ria had spent the majority of yesterday being tourists in the city of Chicago. However, that night Ria was dying to hit a night club. She needed to drown her sorrows in overpriced drinks.

Ria had spent the entire day pretending to be happy for Lightman's benefit, but deep down she was hurting.

The previous afternoon they'd gotten word from Agent Dillon that Daniel Greene was suspected in the rape of another women. The trail had gone cold and the bureau was chasing after its own tail.

That did nothing to improve Ria's already sour mood. The previous afternoon loomed large in her mind. She was incredibly worried that there was more to Cal and Gillian than either of them were willing to admit to themselves. Ria didn't think that Cal was lying to her. She thought that he was lying to himself.

Despite Cal's protestations Ria knew that he wanted to be back home so that he could protect Gillian. She saw the love he felt for Foster whenever he talked about her.

She wanted to ignore the voices in her head but they were so loud. The insecurities from her childhood were bubbling onto the surface. So, last night she drank to hide her pain. She drank to silence the voices in her head. She drank to minimize her insecurities. She drank to forget about the rapist on the loose back home.

Ria drank until she could hardly stand on her own. However, despite her ridiculous behavior Cal had been there the entire time. He watched her from the bar as she danced the night away on the dance floor. He got rid of guys that tried to hit on her. And the harder Ria pushed him away…the tighter he held onto her.

Now the memories from last night were rushing back to her. She had acted like a fool and it very nearly cost her dearly.

After cleaning her face Ria walked over to the French doors. She glanced out to see Cal sitting on a chaise lounge talking on his cell phone.

Ria tugged on the t-shirt she was wearing to make sure she wouldn't be exposing herself and then quietly walked out onto the balcony.

Cal paused seeing Ria. "Let me call you back." He ended the call and got up walking to Ria. He reached out and cradled her face in his hands.

Ria pulled away from his touch a little. She looked at the bruises on his face from the fight the previous night. Ria lightly touched his face and flinched. She couldn't believe that she had caused all of this trouble.

Cal walked closer to Ria and pulled her into his arms. "I was beginning to get worried about you. You've been asleep for hours now. How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay. I guess. What time is it?" asked Ria quietly.

She wanted to pull away from Cal but there was something about being in his arms that made her feel like everything might be okay. Ria couldn't understand how he could even stand to look at her after last night.

"It is almost 3:00 in the afternoon. Last night…" Cal started.

"Last night I was stupid. I was hurt that you left me at the club. So, I decided to leave and go to another club. I got both of us robbed. I am an idiot! And I am very lucky that you came back to the club because I don't know what would have happened to me."

She shuddered as she thought back to the man putting his hand over her mouth so that she couldn't scream. Ria had drunkenly stumbled out of the club to hail a cab when two men tried to rob her. They had grabbed her and pulled her behind the club. Ria had to suppress the urge to vomit.

"I didn't leave you, Ria. I went outside to take a phone call. I couldn't hear in the club. There is no way that I would leave you alone in a club in a strange city. I wouldn't do that to you." He searched her sad eyes. Cal pulled her into his arms again and held her.

"I think that we should break up, Cal. I don't think that I can do this anymore," Ria whispered softly.

Cal pulled back and asked, "Why would you say that?"

"I think that you love Gillian. She is a better fit for you. You two have more in common. And she's closer to your age. I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I would be enough for you. I mean look at me. I am a mess. And if you stay with me I will just drag you down with me," said Ria.

Cal's eyes widened slightly when he realized that Ria's depression was about more than just Daniel Greene. It was partly to blame. "I don't know how I can prove to you that I am not in love with Gillian."

Ria shook her head. "Because you can't prove it to me. I've seen you with her. And I guess before yesterday I just tried to pretend that I didn't see it. You love her, Cal! Just admit it and let me go. I know that you are only with me because I was raped. Because you wanted to save me from myself. I'm not your mother!"

Ria's face fell as soon as those words left her mouth. She shook her head not being able to say anything else. Ria ran into the room and went straight for the bathroom.

Cal stood on the balcony stunned for a time. Ria's behavior was nothing short of confusing. But to a certain extent she was right. Cal took her in because he was afraid that she was going to kill herself. The night in her apartment when she revealed the details of her attack he saw the anguish in her expressions. She was a woman that was on the edge.

He walked over to the railing and stood there taking in a couple of deep breaths. He had to be calm to have this conversation with Ria. She was emotional and scared. He had to be the voice of reason and that generally wasn't his strong suit.

Once Cal felt in control of himself he walked into the room and knocked on the bathroom door. "Ria, come out of there. We need to have a talk, Love."

He could her hear sniffling from behind the bathroom door.

Ria hastily dried her eyes and unlocked the bathroom door. She looked at Cal and said, "I am sorry that I brought your mother into this. That was low of me. I don't know why I did that."

"You weren't wrong, Ria. The pain I saw on your face did remind me of the anguish my mother exhibited before she was given a weekend pass to come home. And you are right I invited you to stay in my home to protect you from your attacker and from yourself," Cal.

More tears rushed to Ria's eyes but she only nodded listening to Cal talk. He was confirming her worst fears but at least she knew now that she wasn't crazy.

Cal said, "But the more time I spent with you the more that I cared for you. I already cared about you because we worked together and you were my protégé. I cared about what happened to you from the beginning but living with you changed how I felt about you. It was no longer just protecting my protégé. I realized that I liked waking up next to you in my bed. I liked complaining about you leaving your make-up all over the bathroom. I like hearing your soft snores in the middle of the night. I like you making me breakfast and leaving the kitchen a complete mess."

Ria blinked in confusion as she listened to Cal. "Don't…"

Cal looked confused and asked, "Don't what? Don't tell you how much you mean to me?"

"Yes! Don't tell me all of those things. All of those incredibly sweet things because you love Gillian. And it will make walking away from you even harder than it already is because I love you, Lightman."

"You are right. I love Gillian, Ria. I love her a great deal because we've been friends for a very long time. I can trust her and she can trust me. But I am not interested in having a relationship with Gillian. I have a scorched Earth approach when it comes to relationships. I warned you of that when we started getting serious. I've never had a successful relationship. And most of the women I've had long term relationships with hate me. I would not cross that line with Gillian because I don't want to ruin our partnership and she's really not my type of woman. She's smart and beautiful but we wouldn't make a good couple. She'd try to fix me and I'd end up driving her mad. We've talked about what we feel about one another and we both agreed that it is never going to go anywhere. You have nothing to worry about."

"But yesterday…"

"Yesterday I was worried about Gillian because Greene broke into our office looking for employee information. He might target Gillian just to get back at me. I am the one that put the nail in his coffin. It's on my word the Bernerd decided to go for the max. Yes, I am worried that he might seek vengeance against me by going after Gillian. Just like Andrew Jenkins did."

Ria shuddered visibly thinking about the convicted rapist that liked to blind his victims after terrorizing them. Logic told her to believe Cal. She could read his microexpressions. Ria knew that he was being truthful with her. But try as she might her insecurities were still screaming at her to run away from this man. To run away from him before he hurt her like the rest. Even Loker had abandoned her when she became too difficult.

"Ria, I love you. I want you to live with me on a permanent basis. I brought you to Chicago to have this conversation with my daughter and my ex-wife. If I wanted to get you out of D.C. I could have taken you anywhere. But I brought you here to kill two birds with one stone. You are part of my life and nothing you do or say is going to change that," said Cal.

"You love me?" Ria asked in shock. She couldn't believe that he could truly love her, too.

Cal reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "Yes, I love you, too. That is what I have been trying to tell you, Ria. This is what I want. I am not with you out of pity or a sense of responsibility. I am with you because I love you."

Ria slipped past Cal and had a seat on their bed. She closed her eyes briefly taking in a couple of deep breaths.

Lightman grabbed a box of Kleenex and joined her on the bed. "What's going on, Love?"

"I am an idiot. I was so scared that you would leave me for Gillian that I decided to dump you before you had the chance. All yesterday all I could think about was losing you and it drove me crazy. Being with you has made me feel normal for the first time in…ever. I guess I thought it was all too good to be true. I mean what are the odds of someone like me finding and keeping a man that makes me feel safe and normal. You make me feel like my baggage isn't so unusual," Ria said.

She took a couple of tissues and dried her tears.

"What do you mean?" asked Cal. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear so that he had a good view of her face.

"Loker tried to love me. He tried to understand me but he couldn't. I would catch him looking at my scars sometimes. And I could see the pity and the disgust. And I know that the disgust wasn't directed at me but I knew that it was there. I knew that he was judging it. And I knew that try as he might he'd never be able to understand where I was coming from. He would never understand what I had been through. And I was right because the moment I pushed him away he dumped me. He confirmed every insecurity that I had."

"So, you thought that you would try to push me away last night at the club. You thought that I would leave you," said Cal.

She nodded sullenly. "When I looked at the bar and saw that you were gone I figured that my plan had worked. You were tired of me and you were gone. And it hurt so bad but I convinced myself that it was for the best."

"I didn't leave you, Ria. Agent Dillon called my cell phone and I went outside so that I could actually hear the call. He had an update about Daniel Greene. I would have never left you. You aren't going to push me away. Nothing you do is going to make me leave you, Ria."

Ria stared at Cal's face studying it intently. She was looking for the smallest deception leak but there was none. He was telling her the truth. "What did Agent Dillon want?"

"Someone broke into Gillian's house last night," said Cal.

Ria's eyes widened. "Oh my God…"

"Foster is fine. She wasn't home at the time. After learning that Daniel Greene had employee addresses she decided to check into a hotel for a couple nights to be safe. She left her car at the house and the FBI drove her to the hotel," Cal explained.

Ria sighed in relief. She would have never forgiven herself if something happened to Gillian. She knew that she was the reason that his attention had been drawn to the Lightman Group. Cal had promised to make Daniel Greene pay because of what he did to her. They were in this mess because of her. "I am so glad that she is okay. Do the FBI have any leads on him?"

"They do. Daniel set off Gillian's silent alarm. A couple of squad cars responded within minutes. Greene was able to escape but not before getting shot. He left blood at the scene. He is definitely wounded. He will be easier to track now. Greene is going to need medical attention at some point. He's got no medical training as far as the FBI could find in his records. When he goes for help they will find him. They have the word out at local pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and veterinary clinics. He won't be able to buy a bottle of pain relievers in the tri-state area without being flagged. He isn't going to get away with raping 12 women."

Ria was silent for awhile. She was just processing all of the information. The man that had ruined her life, and 12 other lives, was on his way back to a jail cell where he belonged. She looked to Cal. "I think that I want to press charges."

Cal quirked an eyebrow at Ria and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and said, "You do not have to do that, Ria. The government has several solid cases against Greene. He isn't going to wriggle out of this once they get him into court."

"No, it isn't about that. I have to stand up to him, Cal, or he will haunt me forever. He came into my home and wrecked everything that I have spent my entire adult life trying to build. The self-esteem and self-worth that I had to create from nothing. I can't just hide from this like I did with my father. It nearly destroyed me. It nearly killed me and any happiness I could have ever had. I can't let him do the same thing to me. I don't know if I can pull myself out of that dark hole for a second time."

Lightman gently caressed her back as quiet sobs wracked Ria's body. "Then I will be there with you every step of the way. We will get through this together. You aren't alone anymore and even if you do slip down into the dark hole I will be right here to help pull you out. But you can't shut me out."

Ria searched his eyes and shook her head. "You are insane. Anyone with half a brain would run screaming in the other direction."

Cal reached out and gently wiped away her tears. "No one has ever accused me of having half a brain."

Ria rested her head on Lightman's shoulder and tried to stop the tears from flowing. She felt exhausted by her emotions.

Cal scooted back onto the bed pulling Ria with him. He could see how tired she was. Cal gently caressed her back and let Ria rest her head on his chest.

Ria closed her eyes and started to fall off to sleep. She felt better about a lot of things. Although, she didn't know how long that would last with her. Suddenly something dawned on her. "Cal, I can't believe I made you miss brunch with Emily and Zoe. I'm so sorry."

"It is okay. You didn't make me miss anything. Frankly, I was exhausted when we finally made it in this morning. I was in no shape to get up a few hours later to have brunch. I think I drank my weight in liquor last night. So, I called Zoe this morning and rescheduled for dinner this evening. But I can cancel that if you aren't feeling up to it," said Cal.

"I don't want you to cancel dinner. I know that you are dying to see Emily. She's been here with Zoe for a while now. Even if I am not feeling well enough to go to dinner this evening I want you to go without me. Telling Emily about the two of us without me there might go over better anyway."

Cal smiled slightly. "If you aren't feeling well then I will go to dinner, but I will not be telling Emily about our relationship. You aren't getting out of being there when I tell her. You are going to be part of her life now. You have to get over whatever fear this is you have about it."

"Whatever fear? I am nervous that she is going to hate the idea of her father shacking up with his 20-something employee. I know how much Emily's happiness means to you."

"You are right. Em's happiness means the world to me. But she is old enough to understand that I need more than just work in my life now. Especially, since she is getting older and preparing to go off to college. I think that she will take the news well. Emily has been encouraging me for quite some time to find a meaningful relationship. I think she worries about me ending up alone," said Cal.

Ria smiled slightly. "You do have the tendency to drive people crazy. In fact I think the only one at the Lightman Group that you don't drive crazy is Loker."

Cal chuckled heartily. "And that is only because he used to idolize me at every turn. I am actually glad that he is over that phase."

"I would have thought that you enjoyed the adulation," teased Ria.

Cal chuckled and said, "I can't say that it didn't stroke my ego, but if he is going to be great he has to stop idolizing me. The most important thing about our field is trusting your own instincts. You will never excel if you are trying to mimic someone else's style."

"Did I try to mimic you?" asked Ria.

"Hardly. You went out of your way to try to show me that you knew what you were doing and didn't need my guidance. You are too cocky for your own good," chided Cal.

She chuckled softly and rested her head on his chest again. "You drove me crazy. You have to be the biggest self-important asshole I've ever met."

"Oi! Watch it! You still work for me…remember?"

"You'd fire your girlfriend for something said in the privacy of the bedroom?" asked Ria.

Cal smirked slightly and said, "I'd have to find out if it was legal first."

He was glad to see that Ria was more relaxed. For a moment earlier he'd thought that he was going to lose her. That scared him more than he'd ever be willing to admit to her.

"Pretty sure sleeping with an employee is seriously bad business etiquette. Especially, when we work in an office where honesty is not only the best policy but the only policy," said Ria.

She looked at Cal's bruised face and reached out lightly touching the bruises.

"I am sorry that I got you beat up last night," said Ria.

"You didn't get me beat up. And I like a good fight. My bare knuckle fighting skills came in handy last night. I was more worried about you," said Cal.

Last night after he had finished pummeling their would-be attackers Cal had found Ria huddled in a corner in tears. He couldn't even get her to speak to him for awhile. She seemed to be in her own world. At first he didn't know if she was in shock or was it some sort of coping mechanism. Cal soon found out that it was a coping mechanism. It was the position Ria used to take when her father was on a tear when she was child. She would find a small area and try to make her body as small as possible to protect herself from the beatings her father dished out. And last night in the chaos of that alley Ria had reverted to what she knew best…survival.

Ria shook her head slightly. "I don't even remember what happened. It's all in bits in pieces still. I don't know if that is from drinking so much or…"

"Doesn't matter what happened. You are safe with me, Ria. I will never let anyone hurt you. Not again…not again," Cal promised.


	11. Chapter 11

Cal and Ria sat together silently in an upscale Chicago restaurant waiting on Zoe and Emily to arrive.

Ria nervously tapped her fingernails against the table. Her eyes moved to the door for what seemed like the hundredth time. She sighed slightly and picked up the glass of wine sitting in front of her.

Cal reached over and lightly grasped her wrist. "I think being drunk for this conversation would be a little counterintuitive. You need to calm down. I am sure that Zoe and Emily are just running a little late. Zoe was leaving her office and going all the way over to Lincoln Park to pick up Em."

"I'm not nervous," said Ria.

Cal quirked an eyebrow at Ria.

She chuckled slightly and set the wine glass back on the table. "Okay, maybe I am a little nervous. I don't understand how this doesn't make you nervous. What if Emily absolutely hates the idea of me living with you?"

"Well, she doesn't have very long to continue living with me. She'll graduate from high school and she'll be free to go wherever she likes," Cal quipped easily.

Ria rolled her eyes at Cal's flippant attitude. She knew that it was bravado on his part. Cal would be more than a little upset if Emily no longer wanted to live with him. "I won't come between you and your daughter, Lightman."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. He took a sip of his beer and said, "There is no need for you to be so dramatic, Ria. Emily is not a little girl anymore. She is more than old enough to understand that Daddy has a new girlfriend. Emily was able to understand Zoe being with Roger."

"But that is different," argued Ria.

Cal chuckled heartily. "In what possible way is that different? It is exactly the same. You are just looking for an excuse to run screaming from this restaurant."

"You are her dad. Our relationships with our fathers are always different than our relationships with our mothers. And I am not looking for a reason to run out of the restaurant. And I wouldn't go screaming even if I did run out of the restaurant. I am just trying to prepare myself for every eventuality."

That was Ria's way of protecting herself. If she always expected the worst then no matter how things turned out she couldn't be disappointed. After a life time of misery, pain, and disappointments it was a coping mechanism she couldn't really do without. In her head she knew that reasoning sounded insane so she'd never breathe a word of it to anyone. But it was how she lived her life. It was how she managed her expectations.

Cal looked towards the door and smiled. "Well, we no longer have to wonder how things are going to turn out."

"Hmm?" asked Ria stunned out of her thoughts. Her eyes followed his and spotted Zoe and Emily being escorted to their table.

Cal stood up from the table and walked around to hug Emily. "Hi, Love. I've missed you."

Emily excitedly threw her arms around Lightman's neck and hugged him. "Hi, Dad. I've missed you, too."

Cal released Emily from the hug and leaned over planting a friendly peck on Zoe's cheek. "It is good seeing you, too, Zoe."

Zoe smiled and briefly hugged Cal. "You, too, Cal."

Emily gasped softly looking at Cal's bruised face.  
"Dad, what happened to you? Did you get into a fight or something?"

Cal smiled and reassuringly said, "I'm fine, Love. There was a robbery attempt last night but I walked away, relatively, unscathed."

Zoe asked, "Did you call the police?"

Cal chuckled and asked, "And say what? Two nondescript reprobates accosted us outside of a night club? They didn't get away with anything."

Zoe shook her head and a small smile crept onto her lips, "I am sure that they are worse off than you are."

That was one of the things that drove Zoe insane and at the same time made her fall in love with Cal. He was passionate to the point of stupidity at times.

"You've got that right."

Ria stood on the other side of the table feeling nervous. She felt awkward almost as if she'd never met these two people before. But in one sense she hadn't. They knew her as Ria Torres, Cal's protégé. However, tonight she was here in a completely different capacity, Cal's girlfriend. She was suddenly very glad that she'd taken painstaking efforts to cover her bruises with make-up. It was a task that she was particularly adept at.

Zoe observed the deer in headlights look on Ria's face and bit back a small smile.

Cal looked behind him and said, "You two know Ria."

He pulled out Zoe and Emily's chairs and pushed them in once both women were seated. Cal walked around and pushed in Ria's chair once she was seated.

Emily laughed and said, "Of course, Dad. Hi, Ria. How are you liking Chicago?"

Ria was grateful for the softball question. "Other than being robbed…I've thoroughly enjoyed Chicago. We spent the majority of yesterday just being tourists in the city. Although, I suppose I should be asking how the two of you are enjoying Chicago."

"It is a beautiful city. I've finally found the perfect place to buy. Emily loves it," said Zoe.

Emily said, "It is this awesome place in Lincoln Park. There are so many cool shops and restaurants in walking distance. I love it."

Cal chuckled. "You are your mother's daughter."

Cal said, "We haven't ordered yet. We were waiting for the two of you to arrive."

Zoe said, "Sounds like a plan to me. I am absolutely famished. I have been running myself ragged getting my office set up."

She picked up the menu and glanced at Cal.

"Chicago is such a great city. I didn't realize there were so many colleges right here in the city. I have had fun touring them with Mom."

"Well, I've tried to make time to visit some of the colleges with Emily. I haven't been able to go on all of the tours. Emily has a front runner though," said Zoe.

Cal quirked an eyebrow and asked, "What is this front runner?"

"Well, I really enjoyed visiting the University of Loyola. I think I could really see myself settling in there. So, what do you think about that, Dad?"

"I think that if you like Loyola that I'd like to go on a tour of the campus with you at some point. I mean you'd be out here with your mother which would make both of us feel better. We wouldn't want you far away from either one of us," said Cal with a smile.

Zoe smiled back. They were both concerned about Emily's safety. If she wasn't going to go to school close to D.C. it would be good for her to go to school in Chicago.

Everyone ordered dinner and then the table fell silent.

Emily asked, "So, Dad, what are you guys doing in Chicago? Are you here on a case?"

Cal said, "Well, we are actually here to see you, Love."

"Here to see me?" asked Emily.

"Well, while you've been here in Chicago I've started dating Ria. And she is going to be living with us when you come back home," said Cal.

Emily blinked slightly and said, "Dad, I talk to you every day. Why didn't you mention that you had a serious girlfriend?"

She was used to her father dating random women but Cal had never been serious about anyone since he'd divorced her mother. This was definitely a shock to Emily.

"I didn't know where the relationship was going at the time. I didn't want to bring it up until I was sure. And now I am sure. Ria has been staying with me and we've decided that she is going to let her apartment go and move in for good. I didn't want to just spring this on you when you came back to D.C. next week."

Zoe watched Emily with concern. She wasn't quite sure how the girl was taking the news. Emily had gone through so many ups and downs with her parents that she tended to be resilient. But Zoe reasoned that everyone had a breaking point.

Ria felt like she was holding her breath waiting for Emily to say something about Cal's revelation.

Emily removed her napkin from her lap and said, "Excuse me."

Zoe frowned deeply. "Emily…"

She moved to follow her daughter.

Cal stood up first and placed a hand on Zoe's arm. "Let me talk to her."

He walked toward the restrooms and stood outside waiting for Emily to exit the bathroom. Cal lightly rapped the door with his knuckle. "Em, if you don't come out I'll have to come in after you."

He waited for several moments before pushing open the door and walking into the bathroom. His eyes fell on Emily sitting on a curved couch in the outer lobby of the restroom.

Emily frowned at him. "This is the ladies' bathroom. You can't be in here. Someone might see you and call the police thinking that you are some sort of pervert."

"Well, they can call whomever they like. I wasn't going to just let you run off like that. What's going on, Em?"

"I can't believe you kept something this big from me. We talk every day, Dad. You tell me about your days and work. And you didn't mention that you were in a serious relationship with someone that I know. I thought you trusted me…"

Cal had a seat next to Emily and put an arm around her shoulders. "It is complicated."

"When is your life ever not complicated?" asked Emily.

He smiled and paused for a minute giving his explanation some thought. "I didn't know how my relationship with Ria was going to work out. She has been going through a really tough time lately. I didn't want to say anything to you in case it didn't work out. And I guess if I am completely truthful with myself I was a little worried that you would be upset. Ria is…"

"Young enough to be your daughter?" asked Emily.

"I wouldn't go that far," said Cal.

Emily laughed and said, "I would. Dad, all I've ever wanted since you and Mom broke up was for you to be happy. I wasn't like a lot of kids that wanted the two of you to get back together. I watched you tear each other apart…and me, too. I never wanted to go through that again. I'll admit I always thought you would end up with Gillian. Especially, after she got divorced. But if Ria makes you happy I am not going to be against that. I just thought…"

Cal had once again underestimated his daughter's capacity to be more mature than either of her parents. He didn't know how she turned out so great with him and Zoe at the helm. "You just thought what?"

"I thought that you didn't tell me because you were angry with me. I know that you know that I want to go to school here in Chicago," said Emily.

That had always been an issue for Emily. Cal always knew the truth about her decisions long before she ever told him. He didn't need to see her face…Cal could hear the lies in her voice.

Cal smiled and said, "I knew before you left to come to Chicago that you wanted to live closer to your mother, Love. I am not angry about that. I think it is good that you will be living so close to her. I would never be angry with you for trying to get a good education. You are growing up…it took me awhile to accept that but I have now."

Emily launched herself into Cal's arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for understanding, Daddy."

"I just want you to be happy, Emily. So, are you okay with Ria living with us?" asked Cal.

Emily nodded. "I knew that she liked you. I just didn't know that you liked her, too."

Cal quirked an eyebrow at Emily and asked, "How did you know that she liked me when I didn't?"

"Ria sort of talks a lot when she is drunk. That night she ended up at our house drunk we had a pretty interesting talk."

"And you never said anything?" asked Cal.

Emily shook her head. "I really like Ria and I knew that she'd be mortified if I told you what she told me. So, I kept it to myself."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I can't believe you kept secrets from your own father."

"I can't believe that you came into the ladies' bathroom," Emily replied.

"This isn't the first time I've ever had to chase you down in the bathroom. I remember once when you were 7 you tried the same thing in the mall. I barged into that bathroom, too," said Cal.

Emily laughed a little and said, "Oh yeah, I remember that. I remember thinking that no matter what you'd always be there…"

Cal kissed her forehead. "And that is still true today. No matter how far away you go I will always find you, Baby Girl."

"We should probably go back out to the table before Mom comes in here looking for us. You know she has to be biting her fingernails right now."

He chuckled and said, "Your mum has always been high-strung."

Emily and Cal laughed together as they walked out to the table.

Ria and Zoe looked between the two of them expectantly.

Emily flashed a smiled and said, "We are okay…."

Zoe let out a sigh of relief and stood up hugging Emily.

Cal had a seat next to Ria and smiled at her. "I told you so."

Ria blinked at Cal. "You told me so? You said that Emily would be fine. That did not look like fine."

Zoe laughed a little as she took a seat. "You will have to get used to Cal declaring himself the victor even if it is only a half-win."

Emily sat down and said, "Ria, I am sorry for running away from the table. I was just shocked and scared that Dad was mad about me wanting to go to school in Chicago. I think you are a great person and if you make my dad happy…."

"And you can put up with him," added Zoe.

Emily laughed and nodded in agreement with her mother. "Then I am happy the two of you are together."

It was Ria's turn to relax. She smiled at Emily. "I am really happy that you feel that way, Emily. I hope that we can still be friends."

"Of course we can. I can tell you all of Dad's secrets that he doesn't think I know," said Emily with a grin.

Cal laughed and said, "Wait a minute! I don't know if I thought this through all the way. It is three against one…"


	12. Chapter 12

The next night Cal rolled onto his side of the bed and tried to catch his breath. Sweat dotted the older man's forehead and there was goofy smile on his face. "Well, that was new," muttered Cal mostly to himself.

Ria rolled over so that she was nestled against Cal's side. She rested her head on his chest and lightly drew circles on his abdomen with her fingertips. "I am full of surprises. Besides, I had to find some way to thank you for the night we had."

That evening Cal had taken Ria to a baseball game and then out to dinner. She had thoroughly enjoyed their date. But Ria was no fool. She knew that Lightman was trying to keep her mind off of the fact that tomorrow they'd be getting on a plane and flying back to Washington. It was a fact that she tried to ignore with all of her might.

"You didn't need to thank me, Torres. I wanted to do something nice for you. And I like seeing you get all worked up about sports. You are quite the rowdy fan," said Cal caressing her bare back.

Ria laughed softly. "I can't help it. I have a competitive streak. What time is our flight tomorrow?"

Cal replied, "Our flight is at 11:00, but it would probably be a good idea to get there at 9:30. Getting through security that time of the morning is a pain in the ass."

She nodded slightly and rolled over grabbing her cell phone from the nightstand. The raven haired young woman set the alarm for 7:00 the next morning. Ria had spent the entire evening trying not to think about going home tomorrow. D.C. was the very last place she wanted to be while Daniel Greene was still on the loose.

Ria rolled back over so that she was once again nestled against Cal's side. "I am sort of looking forward to going home. I want to check in with my sister. She sent me a text today saying that she missed me."

"How is Ava doing?" asked Cal.

"She said that she is doing fine but Ava still is prone to lying."

Lightman chuckled heartily. "That is because she is a human and a teenager. People lie as much as they breath. You know that. Do you think something is going on with her that you should be worried about?"

"I mean not school wise. I talked to her foster mother and Ava is doing good in school and hasn't really gotten into any trouble. But before I left D.C. she asked me some weird questions about our father."

He thought that sounded strange. "What did she want to know about your father?"

"Well, not about him specifically. She wanted to know about our dad's family. I told her to steer clear of them. They are as screwed up as he was…if not more. He's got two brothers and they are both low-life prisoners. I am worried because one of them, Lorenzo, was released from Allenwood a couple weeks ago. He got in touch with me through a friend in the old neighborhood and I told him I wanted nothing to do with him. I am just hoping that he didn't reach out to Ava."

Lightman was shocked that he didn't know about this. He was usually on top of everything that was going on with the people that worked for him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was going through a lot to begin with. The last thing I needed was ghosts from my past stirring up trouble. I just didn't want to think about it. It wasn't like I was trying to keep it from you. I just didn't see that it was important," Ria explained.

Cal nodded. "Well, you might want to talk to the foster mother and let her know that a convict might be trying to get in contact with Ava."

"I don't want to betray her trust that way. Not until I find out if my suspicions are right. When I get back home I am going to meet up with Ava and ask her if Lorenzo has been in contact. I'll figure out what to do after I get her answer."

"I am glad that your relationship with her is getting better…"

Ria kissed him softly. "I owe it to you. You helping her out…it helped her trust me again. And it made me realize that maybe I should trust her a little too. I am going to get a shower. We've got to be up way too early tomorrow morning."

She got out of the bed and headed to the bathroom.

Cal watched her figure appreciatively as she left the room. He stretched out and relaxed with his hands behind his head. They'd go home tomorrow and then the real fun would begin. He'd spend hours scouring interrogation footage for the tiniest of tells. The FBI had been interviewing and in some cases interrogating all of Greene's known associates and family members in an effort to locate him.

However, they hadn't come up with anything particularly useful just yet. They were hoping that Cal could help them weed out the liars. There was something that Cal was keeping from Ria. When they returned to D.C. she would be unable to work at the office. The Attorney General had some concerns about a victim and possible witness working around evidence in the case. That was the type of thing that could get evidence kicked by a judge.

Lightman's cell started ringing. He reach over and answered it. "Lightman…"

"Lightman, this is Special Agent Dillon we need to talk. We've had a new development," said Bernard.

"Hold on," said Cal. He looked toward the bathroom before getting up, putting on his boxers, and going out on the balcony.

"Okay, what is going on?"

"I just left Ria Torres' apartment. The neighbors called in a break-in last night. The local police didn't forward that information to us until this evening. I had my people go over her apartment with a fine tooth comb for prints. Doesn't look like anything was stolen. All of the expensive stuff like electronics were still in place. I didn't see any clothes though. Could Greene have taken those?" asked Bernard.

Cal dropped down on the chaise lounge and groaned slightly. Ria was already terrified. This was the very last thing she needed. "No, all of Torres' clothes are at my house. She's pretty much moved in with me. She only left behind things that she didn't really need."

* * *

Thirty minutes later Ria walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. She had a seat on the bed and started brushing her freshly washed and blow-dried hair.

Cal walked back into the room hearing Ria moving around. "How was your shower?

"Incredibly relaxing. I was surprised that you didn't join me. I am a little disappointed," said Ria. She laughed to let him know that she was joking.

"Sorry, Love. Something came up. I had every intention of joining you," said Cal.

"Earlier when I was getting ready to get in the shower I thought I heard you on the phone. Any news from home?" asked Ria.

Cal walked over so that he was standing in front of her. He hated the hopeful tone of her voice. Indeed there was news from D.C. but it wasn't anything that would lift her spirits. In all honesty it was something that would probably only terrify Ria more. "Very Special Agent Dillon called me with an update."

Ria looked up into Cal's eyes expectantly and asked, "And?"

"Daniel Greene is still on the loose. They have been running down all of his known associates. And he has reached out to a few of those people but the feds have been one step behind him this entire time. He is going to slip up at some point and they are going to catch him," said Cal.

"Trying to convince yourself or me? I am starting to think that this son of a bitch is smarter than all of us."

Cal said, "He's had luck on his skill but it won't continue to be that way."

That was of no comfort to Ria. The idea of going home and knowing that Greene was out there terrified her more than she could put into words. "I hate that we have to go home now."

Cal sat next to Ria on the bed and put an arm around her shoulders. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "If the bureau didn't need my help with the case we could stay here longer. But they need my help interviewing Greene's known associates. Maybe with my help they can put a stop to this. The night that you told me about what happened to you I made myself a promise to see this bastard in jail. Going home and helping out is the only way that I can keep that promise to myself and to you."

Ria nodded slightly. "I know that going home is the right thing. That doesn't mean that it doesn't scare the hell out of me, Cal."

"I am not going to let anything happen to you, Ria. You have my word," Cal promised.

Ria replied sarcastically, "Famous last words?"

Cal smirked a little. "No, it won't just be me looking after you. Although Bernerd tends to be incredibly incompetent at just about everything he does…he was able to convince the deputy director that you are a target. So, when we get home you'll have a security detail looking after you as well. They are going to make sure that Daniel Greene doesn't get near you."

Ria's eyes widened slightly. "A security detail…that sounds serious. They think I am a target because he attacked me or because he broke into the Lightman Group?"

Cal sighed a little. He was hoping to keep this tidbit from her until later. He wanted to spread out the misery if at all possible.

"What's going on, Cal? What aren't you telling me?" asked Ria. She could read him well. Ria knew when Cal was trying to hide something from her.

"When I talked to Agent Dillon earlier…he told me that someone broke into your apartment last night. Local law enforcement didn't forward the information to the feds until this afternoon. The feds investigated the scene and don't believe that anything of value was taken. All of your electronics were still in place."

Ria swallowed visibly. "Greene…"

Cal shook his head. "You don't know that, Ria. It doesn't do you any good to start jumping to conclusions before you have all of the information. A forensic team was dispatched to the apartment. They took prints and found some other evidence. They'll figure out who was there."

Ria snapped, "Don't patronize me. We both know that this was Greene. You knew it from the start…that is why you didn't want to tell me about it. He went there looking for me."

"You don't know what happened so you are building your own narrative in your head. Don't do that. Imagining all of the horrible things will only scare you and make you anxious," said Cal.

"You don't think that I am already scared and anxious? He sent me a package in the mail containing my panties after I was raped. He was telling me that he was coming back for me. You don't think I have a right to be scared and anxious?" asked Ria.

She finger combed her jet black hair away from her face and took a deep breath. She could feel herself barreling toward the deep end. The anxiety that she had been keeping at bay for the last couple of days was steadily building.

"I can't imagine what you are going through right now. The fear, the anger, the helplessness. I know feeling those things drive you crazy. But you have to trust that I am too much of a stubborn prick to let anything bad happen to you, Love."

"I keep thinking about the day that I crossed paths with him at the Lightman Group. It was like looking into the face of the devil. Before I even knew who he was…I felt like he was looking through me. Like he could see everything about me. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if I am here or in D.C. because he is in my head. And I will carry him with me wherever I go. But the idea of going back to D.C. makes me want to run screaming in the other direction."

Cal said, "I know that he hurt you. I know that he took something away from you, but you are strong, Ria. Look at everything else you've been through? You are a survivor and you can make it through this too. If you run away…you are letting him win. He's taking your life, your friends, your career, everything away from you. Don't give him that kind of power."

Ria blinked away tears. "I said that I feel like running away not that I'd actually do it. I fully intend to testify. I want to be in court…I want to tell everyone what sort of sick freak he is. I want to help put him away. But being in D.C. while he is still lurking out there is scary. What if he comes after me again? What if he…rapes me again? I don't think that I could survive that, Cal."

Cal's heart broke for Ria. He could see that she was struggling inside of herself. There was part of her that wanted to be strong. She wanted to face her rapist and make sure he spent the rest of his life in prison. But there was another part of Ria that wanted to pretend like this rape never happened.

"He will not lay a hand on you, Ria."

The statement was simple but the sincerity of his words were not lost on Ria. She knew at that moment that Cal was willing to go above and beyond to make sure that she was safe. "If you help the FBI it won't have to come to that. If anyone can find truth…it is you."

Cal kissed her softly. "You are going to get through this. There will come a day when this won't hurt as bad and you won't be scared anymore. You just have to keep fighting to get to that point. Don't give up…don't run."

Ria shook her head. "I am not going to run. That was just a moment of panic. I am oing to go home and I am going to fight until he is behind bars for the rest of his life."

Cal smiled. "That's my girl."

Ria chuckled softly. "I am actually feeling rather tired. I set the alarm for 7 so I should probably try to get some sleep. You don't want to know what I look like sleep deprived."

She stood up and took off her robe. Ria climbed into bed and slipped under the covers.

Cal nodded in understanding. She was tired and this conversation had been more emotionally than she was ready to deal with. He decided now was as good a time as any to lay the news on her. "There is one more thing."

"What?" asked Ria.

Cal said, "Until this investigation is over…you can't be in the office. The AUSA is concerned that the defense will be able to use your presence is a way to impeach the evidence."

Ria was just silent. She really didn't know what to say. Now she couldn't even do her job because of this sick freak. "Fine…"

She turned onto her side and turned out her lamp.

Cal sighed. He walked around to his side of the bed and climbed in. Lightman reached over turning out the lamp. "Goodnight, Love."

"Goodnight…"

Cal wrapped an arm around Ria and kissed the back of her head. He knew that she was angry but he also knew that she was rational enough to know this was the right move for her and every other victim in the case.

* * *

A few hours later Ria's cell phone started ringing. She groaned tiredly and reached over grabbing for the phone in the dark. Her hand accidentally slapped the phone off of the nightstand. "Seriously?" asked Ria in exasperation.

She got out of the bed and by the time she made it to her phone the ringing stopped.

Ria picked up the phone and walked back over to the bed tiredly. She glanced at the screen to see who the missed call was from. Ria frowned wondering why Loker would be calling her in the middle of the night.

She looked at Cal sound asleep in the bed and decided to go out on the balcony to return Loker's call without disturbing Lightman.

Ria pulled on her bathrobe and went outside. She had a seat on the chaise lounge and got ready to call Loker when her cell phone started ringing again. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Loker calling again.

She smiled and answered the phone. "Hi, Eli. I was just about to call you back. Is everything okay?"

It was late in Chicago but it was even later in D.C. right now. But in truth she was glad to hear from Loker. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument at the Lightman Group. Ria knew how hurt he'd been by her decision to be with Cal.

The line was silent for a moment but just when she was going to say something she heard heavy breathing on the other end of the line. Ria listened closely trying to make out what she was hearing.

"Loker?" asked Ria in a concerned voice.

The heavy breathing continued against a backdrop of near errie silence.

"Eli, is that you?" asked Ria.

A man's voice chuckled on the other end of the phone. "No…"

Ria froze hearing the voice. She knew that voice. It was one that she would never forget in a million years. A cold chill shot down her back. Ria flashed back to the night of her attack. She could vividly remember hearing the attackers voice. Threatening her…telling her that he liked a challenge…he liked when his victims fought him. "What did you do to Loker? You bastard! If you hurt him…"

The man chuckled louder. "If I hurt him what? You couldn't save yourself. What makes you think you can do anything to help your boyfriend? He is your boyfriend isn't he? When I was stalking you…deciding if you were the right target...deciding if you were worthy enough. I saw him leaving your apartment early in the morning. That was how I knew you were a slut."

Ria's heart was nearly beating out of her chest. She was starting to feel lightheaded. "What have you done to Loker?"

"Nothing much…I just needed to borrow his phone so that I could get in touch with you. I've missed you and I am going to see you again real soon. I tried to visit you last night. Imagine my surprise when I realized that you weren't home. Looks like you haven't been living there in awhile. So, I figured you must be staying here with your boyfriend…but you weren't here either," said Greene.

"You aren't going to get away with this. The FBI is going to find you and you are going to spend the rest of your worthless life behind bars where you belong," said Ria.

Greene chuckled. "So brave…you were brave that night too. Never have I had one of my victims fight me as hard as you fought me. I think that is why you are my favorite. Goodbye…Ria."

The call ended.

Ria sat there nearly hyperventilating. She felt like she was having a heart attack. Ria got up to walk back into the room. She needed Cal. She needed to know what to do. Her mind was racing thinking of the possibilities. Ria knew what that monster was capable of.

As she walked she started to feel light headed. Ria collapsed in the middle of the room hitting the floor with a thud.


	13. Chapter 13

Earlier Lightman heard Ria get out of the bed to take the call from Loker but decided to go back to sleep to give them some privacy. However, the soft thud Ria's body made against the carpeted floor was enough to bring Cal out of his relatively light sleep. "Ria?" asked Cal in a sleepy voice.

He waited for a response but didn't hear anything. Cal turned on the lamp and his eyes scanned the room for the sound that woke him. His eyes stopped on Ria's prone body in the middle for the floor.

All reason left Cal's mind as he hopped out of the bed and rushed to her side. "Ria?"

He gently tilted her head up so that he could check for a pulse. Lightman let out a heavy sigh of relief realizing that she was indeed alive. Cal lightly stroked her dark hair. "Ria, I need you to wake up," whispered Cal in a voice thick with emotion.

Ria slowly started to come to under Lightman's watchful gaze. She blinked a few times and glanced up at Cal trying to get her bearings. "Loker…"

Cal cocked his head to the side thinking that Ria was calling him Loker. He glanced at her head to be sure she hadn't injured herself more seriously than he'd thought. "Ria, I'm not Loker."

She huffed slightly and sat up under her own power. Ria immediately regretted her hasty decision because she suddenly felt very light headed all over again.

Cal said, "Whoa! There is no need to start moving just yet. Take your time. Just tell me what happened? Are you hurt?"

He carefully examined his protégé for injuries.

"No! We don't have time. Loker called my cell phone. At least I thought that it was him. But it wasn't…it was…I think that something has happened to Loker."

Tears filled her dark brown eyes as she thought about the man that was a friend and former lover. For all that they'd been through Ria still loved him deeply.

Cal's face hardened but he kept his voice even. "Who was on the phone, Torres?"

Ria choked out, "Greene."

Cal got onto his feet and said, "Don't try to get up. I don't want you to fall again."

"Where are you going?" asked Ria in an almost panicked voice. She knew that Greene was too far away to hurt her but she didn't want to be alone right now. That phone call had been too close for comfort.

"To call Bernard."

Cal went over to the bed and grabbed his cell phone from the bedside table. He called the man that he found to be completely incompetent but in this situation he needed him more than ever. Loker could be an annoying little bastard but he was part of Lightman's team. He was a part of Lightman's family. There wasn't much that he wouldn't do for him. Ria and Foster weren't the only people distressed when Loker tendered his resignation.

A sleepy voice was heard over the phone. "Special Agent Dillon."

"I might have a lead on Daniel Greene. Ria just got a call from him on her cell phone. He called her from Eli Loker's phone. I need you to find Loker and make sure that he is still in one piece, Bernard," said Cal.

His confident tone hid the fact that he was truly unnerved. They had erroneously assumed that Greene would only target females. Loker was on his own, unprotected, and unaware of the fact that he was in danger.

This information seemingly shocked Bernard out of his sleep because he now sounded quite alert. "When did this call come in. I can try to get a GPS fix on the phone the call was made from."

Cal said, "I don't know a few minutes ago maybe. I know that you'd really like to catch Greene. But I'd like to make sure my employee isn't laying dead in a gutter. Perhaps you could try multi-task, Bernard."

Ria gasped from across the room hearing Cal's mention of Eli's possible demise.

He shook his head in her direction as if to say he didn't really believe that Eli was in danger.

Bernard said, "I will send a squad car over to his house to make sure he is okay. I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything. I am going to get people working on tracing Greene's call. This just might be the break we need."

Cal hung up not bothering to say goodbye. He walked over to Ria and gently helped her onto her feet. Lightman helped her over to the bed and then he kneeled in front of her. "Can you tell me what Greene said to you?"

Ria's eyes darkened somewhat and she just shook her head. She didn't want to remember the vile things that poured out of the man's mouth. Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach.

Lightman lightly caressed her cheek. "I know that you are upset and scared but I need to know if he said anything about Loker. I have to be able to give the bureau something to go on. You know they tend to be a bit daft."

She swallowed nervously and nodded slightly. "He said that he went looking for me at my apartment and when I wasn't there he went to look for me at Loker's place. He thinks that I am still dating him. What if he really did kill Loker? It will be all my fault. He did this because of me."

The older man cupped her chin and looked into her glassy eyes. "None of this is your fault. Greene is a predator and a psychopath. You've been working at the Lightman Group long enough to know that psychopaths get off on the pain they cause people. Nothing you did could have set this in motion or stopped it from happening. It is important that you realize that."

"Loker wouldn't even be on his radar if it wasn't for his connection to me, Cal. Logically, I know that this isn't my fault. But that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty. I just want to know that Loker is okay. I want to know that he didn't die because some psychotic freak couldn't find me!"

Ria felt completely helpless and exposed. Greene was no closer to getting caught. In fact the only thing he seemed closer to was her. His promise of seeing her again was seeming more and more plausible.

Cal stood up and sighed a little. He knew there was nothing he could say to fix the pain that she was feeling. Cal knew the pain of feeling like you'd cost someone else so much. It was a damning feeling. One that didn't easily go away. He walked over to the mini fridge and got her a bottle of water. "Here. Drink this and try to stay calm. Bernard said that he'd call back as soon as he knows anything."

Ria glanced at the bottle. "I could go for something a little stronger than this."

He smiled slightly. "I am sure that you could. But I think that you should probably remain sober for the time being. You tend to be absolutely no help when you go and get yourself legless."

She took a sip from the water bottle and then just held it. Ria tried to keep the negative thoughts from overwhelming her but it was hard. Her last time talking to Loker had not been great. She didn't want the last things they ever said to one another to be negative things.

Without warning Ria jumped up from the bed and ran into the bathroom getting sick. She held onto the toilet as she emptied the contents of her stomach in a painful way. Each heave sent shockwaves through her body.

Cal could hear her throwing up and shook his head. Ria had been through more than any normal person could endure. And her trials were not over yet. There was a strength about the young woman that he admired but he wondered how much more she could take.

He found himself pacing the floor waiting to hear back from Bernard. Lightman was more than a little concerned that Bernard would be more concerned with capturing Greene than ensuring Loker's welfare. It was taking every shred of his resolve not to call the man back to inquire about Loker's status.

Ten minutes later Ria walked out of the bathroom looking like death warmed over. The older man stopped his pacing and walked over to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded only slightly and went over to the bed to have a seat. Her legs still felt weak. "Did you call Foster?"

Lightman looked in her direction and slowly shook his head. "I want to wait until I have something to tell her. Right now all we know is that Greene is using Loker's cell phone. That doesn't really mean anything."

"What do you mean that doesn't mean anything? It means that he has Loker!"

"No, it could mean anything. Greene could have stolen the phone from Loker's car. He could have robbed him on the street. Until we get confirmation we really have no idea what is going on."

Ria accusingly said, "You don't believe that and I know you don't."

It was moments like these she wished that she didn't have this 'gift'. A normal person wouldn't be able to see the lie on Lightman's face like she could. There would be no comfort in well meaning lies. She could see the truth.

The time seemed to pass at a snail's pace as they waited on the agent's call. But finally after an hour on pins and needles Cal's cell phone started to ring.

Lightman grabbed his cell phone and asked, "What did you find out?"

Bernard said, "We found the kid. He was transported to the hospital for stab wounds to his abdomen and back. He'd lost a lot of blood by the time the squad cars got to his apartment. But they took him George Washington and that is a great hospital. If anyone is going to save him…they will be the ones to do it. He was barely conscious when we found him so I don't know how this happened. But the looks of the scene suggests that Greene broke in. Any idea why he went after Mr. Loker?"

Cal's face paled hearing the news but his voice stayed steady. "He thought Loker was still dating Ria. What about Daniel Greene? Any news on him?"

"He still has Loker's phone and it is still on. We are tracking it through the GPS now and we have a tactical response team gearing up. We are waiting for him to stop. Trying to take him out in a moving vehicle leaves too many things up to chance tactically."

There were too many ways for him to slip from their grasp or worse yet try to cause major traffic accidents to aid in his getaway. Greene had proven time and again he had no problem dying.

"Alright. Thank you, Bernard…give me an update when you can," said Cal.

Ria looked at him from her position on the bed. She hadn't moved an inch the whole time. It seemed liked she had been holding her breath since Cal answered the phone.

Lightman walked around the bed so that he was standing in front of Ria. He looked at her eyes and saw the fear in them. Cal didn't relish being the bearer of bad news. "They found Loker. He is alive."

Ria exhaled deeply but slowly she realized there was more to Cal's statement. "What's wrong, Cal?"

The older man had a seat next to Ria on the bed and took her hands into his. "He's been stabbed but he is on his way to the hospital. He should already be there by now."

She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. The elation of him being alive was replaced by a nightmarish fear that he would die. "How bad?"

Cal shook his head slightly not answering her question.

"How bad is he?" Ria demanded.

Cal said, "You don't want to know."

"Don't tell me what I don't want to know. I am asking you to tell me. Respect me enough to tell me, Cal."

"I love you enough not to tell you. It will only bring you more pain."

She shook her head ruefully. "I don't think I can hurt anymore than I already do."

"All Bernard was able to tell me was that Loker lost a lot of blood before help arrived. But the thing to focus on is the fact that he was still alive. For now we have to hold on to that."

Ria sucked in a pained breath but slowly nodded. "You should call Foster. She should hear this from you…not the news or a FBI Agent. I am going to give you some privacy to make the call."

She slowly rose to her feet and went out onto the balcony. Ria was giving Lightman space but more importantly she wanted to be by herself for a moment. She didn't know how to deal with the emotions she was feeling.

Ria sat on the chaise lounge and closed her eyes feeling the tears slipping down her cheeks. She clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs that followed. Her body shook with each new cry.

* * *

Hours later Ria sat beside Cal on a flight back home. The two of them had been sitting in silence for most of the flight. Neither of them knew what to say to the other. In the hours since Loker was rushed to the hospital he'd undergone a major surgery to remove his shredded gallbladder. The doctors were waiting to see if his left kidney would have to be removed as well.

The last update they'd received on Loker's condition was that he'd survived the surgery. That was truly a victory because his doctors had not been optimistic.

Cal reached over and took Ria's hand. "We don't have much longer until we land. I am assuming that you will want to go to the hospital straight away?"

She nodded slightly and gently squeezed Cal's hand. "I am sure that Foster will be glad to see us. She's been stuck at the hospital on her own since last night. I can't imagine having to go through this alone. Having you with me last night was the only thing that kept me sane."

Lightman was quiet for a beat and then pressed a kiss to her temple. "You kept me sane as well, Love."

Ria quirked an eyebrow at him but then smiled. "I know that you care for Loker more than you like to admit. I can see it but Loker never seems to notice. He's always so busy trying to impress you. I never understood why you didn't just tell him how important he was to the Lightman Group."

Cal said, "He works harder if he knows he has something to prove to me."

She shook her head and laughed. "You were our topic of conversation many nights. Eli was always trying to come up with insights or theories that would impress you. I told him to quit trying."

"So, you don't feel the need to impress me?"

"I love my job. I want to learn more and get better at what I do. But what I wouldn't do is pursue approval that is unattainable. You don't do positive reinforcement or encouragement…so I don't look for it or need it. Loker on the other hand craves it. You play right into his daddy issues."

Cal quirked an eyebrow. "Daddy issues?"

Ria chuckled. "Don't pretend that you don't know. While Foster was worried about me looking at you as a surrogate 'Daddy' she should have been updating Loker's psych profile. His father was never truly happy with anything he ever did. Owen used the carrot and stick approach. Small praise for doing something well and then crushing disapproval for not being better. You use the same tactic. The only difference is that you aren't verbally abusive…you are just dismissive."

Lightman swallowed slightly. Ria's scathing assessment of his treatment of Loker struck a nerve within him. He was only pushing Loker to do better. Eli was a good kid and smart as anyone he'd ever met but he was lazy at times and a goof off. Cal knew that if he heaped too much praise on Loker it'd go to his head and his work would suffer. But it was never his intention to demoralize him.

She evaluated that tense expression on his face. "You can't tell me that you didn't know what you were doing, Cal."

"If he hates me so much then why does he still work for me?" asked Cal curiously.

"Because he loves you. A lot. More than is really appropriate under the circumstances. He looks at you as his mentor. He likens you as Plato to his Aristotle."

"Is he happy working for me? I mean before this situation with you…was he happy working at the Lightman Group?" asked Cal.

Ria took his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. "There is nowhere on Earth Loker would rather be than working for you. He talks a good game about striking out on his own but he'd be miserable without being your right-hand man."

Cal nodded slightly and closed his eyes.

The seatbelt light came on as their plan got ready to make their approach at Dulles.

They were home sweet home now.

Ria said, "I was thinking that maybe we could get a hotel room instead of going back to your house. I know it is a lot to ask…especially after spending the money to take me to Chicago. I'll pay for the room. I just…"

Cal opened his eyes again and glanced over at Ria. He nodded slightly and put an arm around her shoulders. "We can get something close to the hospital. You will probably want to stick close for a couple of days."

Ria just smiled. "Thanks."


	14. Chapter 14

Ria sat in a private waiting room with her head in her hands. She had been at the hospital with Foster for the last six hours. Two hours ago the nursing staff moved them out of the main waiting room and into a small waiting room closer to the OR. They explained that it provided privacy for family and friends during difficult times.

She knew what it really meant…Loker had been rushed back into the operating room to remove his heavily damaged kidney. Operating on him so soon after the first surgery was risky but necessary. But it also increased the chances that he would die on the operating table.

Ria wasn't crying anymore. She didn't have any tears left. Her eyes were dry and irritated and she hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Loker was rushed into surgery. The smaller waiting room made her feel claustrophobic. She felt like the walls were closing in on her the longer Loker was in surgery. There had been no updates and Ria only hoped that it meant they were doing their best to save Loker's life.

"I wish Cal was here," Ria croaked. Her throat was scratchy and sore from all of the crying she'd did earlier in the day.

Foster nodded slightly. She wished that he was there, too. "He would be if the bureau didn't need him to interview Greene's family and friends. He can't have been on the run for this long without help. Someone is helping him. Maybe because they want to or out of fear."

"I don't understand who would help a serial rapist? If my relative came to me for help I'd help and then call the cops if I was afraid of them."

"They could be fearing retaliation if he isn't apprehended fast enough. Sometimes it is hard for family members to accept what sort of person the offender really is. Especially, with something as heinous as serial rape. They may have talked themselves into believing that he is innocent."

Ria and Foster looked up hearing the door to the waiting room open. They were both expecting to see a doctor or nurse standing in front of them. Instead there was a woman that appeared to be in her mid to late 50's. Her dark hair framed her tear streaked face.

"Virginia, I am so glad that you were able to make it," said Ria. She walked over to Loker's mother.

Virginia pulled Ria into a hug. She had met the younger woman several times in the past and knew how fond Eli was of her. "I don't understand how this could have happened to my son. Eli is always careful. Do you know what he was doing? The police were very vague when they notified me."

Ria slid out of the hug and tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach. "This happened because of me…" Ria choked out.

Gillian walked over and put an arm around Ria's shoulder and said, "Ria, maybe you should go and get some water while I talk to Mrs. Loker."

Virginia's eyes were wide with shock. "What on Earth do you mean? I can't believe that you would do anything to hurt my son. You love him and he loves you. I might not be involved with Eli's life on a regular basis but of this I am sure."

Ria felt like she couldn't breathe in the room. "I'm sorry!"

She ran out of the room before Eli's mother could make any more inquires. She wasn't ready to answer any of them.

Gillian suggested, "Maybe you should have a seat and I will try to explain what is going on to the best of my ability."

Foster did not relish being put into this situation. It was quite obvious that Loker had not informed his mother that he and Ria were no longer together.

Virginia eyed her cautiously but slowly lowered herself into a chair. "What's going? The police said that Eli was attacked by an assailant at his apartment. Is there more to it than that?"

"A man. A criminal has been targeting the Lightman Group for the last week. I am not sure if you heard about the man that escaped from FBI custody on the Beltway…"

Virginia shook her head. "I've been at a yoga retreat for the last two weeks. Trying to cleanse all of the bad spirits. It is very holistic. We don't have television or cell phones. The police had to come all the way out to the retreat to tell me about Eli."

Foster swallowed nervously and nodded. "Well, we assist local and federal law enforcement on cases. We recently assisted on the case of a man that is accused of raping several women in the tri-state area as well as the district. He is the man that I was referring to that escaped custody. Since then he has ransacked our offices and broken into a few employees' homes including mine. The police aren't sure of an exact timeline but they believe he broke into Eli's home last night and assaulted him."

Virginia gasped softly but didn't say anything. She had never known that Eli's job could be dangerous. They talked often but never about anything of any real substance. "Why does Ria feel responsible for this?"

Gillian cleared her throat not sure how to put the next thing. It wasn't her place to tell but the motive was sure to come out in the coming days and weeks. "Ria is one of the rapist's victims. He went after Loker thinking that he knew where Ria was…he didn't because they aren't together anymore."

"When did they break up?"

"It has been a while…"

"More than two weeks?" asked Virginia.

Gillian nodded.

"I don't understand. I talked to Eli before I went on my retreat. He told me that everything was fine. That they were doing great. You are telling me that…they weren't even together anymore?"

Gillian searched for the right words. "I am sure that Eli was just trying to protect Ria's privacy. You obviously like her a great deal. As a concerned mother you would have wanted to know what prompted the break-up and he couldn't tell you that. Ria wasn't ready to tell the world that she'd been assaulted. She wasn't even pressing charges. I am only telling you now because that has changed. She talked with investigators earlier this evening and submitted a formal complaint."

"He…was going to propose to her," whispered the older woman.

Virginia stood up and walked over to a small window. She took a few deep breaths trying to settle her nerves. There was so much she didn't know about her son and his life. While she was away trying to center herself he had been in dire need of her comfort. "Eli never tells me anything important to him. I guess he thinks that I am fragile. But I thought that we were getting better. I thought that he believed that I was getting better."

Gillian said, "I don't know the reason he didn't mention anything. I can only guess that he didn't want to violate Ria's privacy. He was struggling with the changes in his life but he was happy. Cal had just given Loker a new office and his own team…"

"I need some water…"

Virginia quietly left the room needing some time alone. She followed the signs and went to the break area where the vending machines were lined up against the wall. She spotted Ria sitting alone on a couch across from the machines. Virginia got a bottle of water out of the machine and had a seat on the couch with Ria. She could see that the young woman had been crying. "What happened to my son is tragic…but you are not to blame. Dr. Foster explained the situation to me."

Ria looked up at Virginia.

"The whole situation," Virginia clarified.

"I'm so sorry. Eli is a really special guy. So smart and funny. And he has the biggest heart in the world. He always said that he got that from you," said Ria.

Virginia looked shocked. "My Eli said that about me?"

She nodded.

"Eli loves you a lot, Ria. He never really talked about his girlfriends but even before the two of you started dating he couldn't stop talking about you. About how strong you were despite your childhood. He never really believed in monogamy because of his father's philandering but he told me that he was starting to believe in it because of you. Maybe the two of you will have a chance to get back together…"

Ria shook her head and said, "We haven't been together for awhile. And even before we finally broke up things were bad. After…what happened to me I wasn't myself. I wasn't strong anymore and I pushed Eli so far away that he broke up with me and rightfully so. I wasn't being a very good girlfriend."

Virginia didn't know what to say to that. "Eli loves you…"

"I love him, too. But too many things have changed now…most of all me. I am going to go back to the waiting room. I'm hoping the doctor's will have an update soon. Can I get you anything?"

Loker's mother shook her head. "No, I think that I am going to sit here for awhile and finish my water. Will you come and get me if there is any news?"

Ria nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Lightman sat in his office taking a much needed break. The interviews had been almost non-stop since he walked into the office. But they were closer to finding Daniel Greene and that was the important part. Over the course of the interviews 4 people had been identified as having contact with Greene in the last two days. Now that he was on the hook for attempted murder they all seemed more willing to cooperate.

His secretary walked into the room. "Mr. Lightman, a man is here looking for Ms. Torres. He claims that he is a family member…"

Lightman sat up in his seat a little more. "Let him in."

She nodded and closed the door. The secretary returned a few minutes later with an older Hispanic man that appeared to be in his late 40's. His head was shaved bald and he was wearing a suit.

Lightman nodded at the secretary letting her know that she could leave them alone. Cal stood up from the desk once she was gone. "How can I help you?"

"You can't. I am looking for Ria Torres. I was under the impression that she works here," said the man. He had a gravelly voice and you could hear the undertones of a Spanish accent.

"She does work here. However, Ria isn't here today. I am her boss. Is there some way that I can help you?"

He shook his head. "No, I need to see her. I'll try her at home. You have a good day."

As he was walking toward the door Cal said, "She isn't at home either, Lorenzo."

The man stopped walking and turned around to look at Cal. "How did you know my name?"

"Ria mentioned that her uncle was released from prison and was looking for her. You fit the bill. Why are you looking for Ria?" asked Cal.

"She's my niece. I haven't seen her since she was a little girl. Unfortunately, I was a guest at Allenwood for the majority of her childhood. I just want to see how she is doing," Lorenzo explained.

Cal frowned and then laughed. "Now that was a big lie. Lorenzo, do you know what we do here at the Lightman Group?"

"Yeah, I've seen some articles online about how my niece has helped crack some big cases by figuring out that people are lying. So what?" asked Lorenzo.

Cal noted that it seemed Lorenzo had been keeping track of Ria while he was in prison. It was no coincidence that he was looking up news articles online. "So, I know when someone is lying to me. You aren't here just to catch up. What do you want money?"

Anger flashed in Lorenzo's eyes. "I am not here for money."

"Well, that pissed you off. You look…offended. So, you aren't here for money. You're here for nobler reasons then? But you aren't necessarily noble. You are a killer."

Lorenzo glared at him. "I've never killed anyone that didn't deserve it. And I've never hurt my niece. Either of them."

"Ah. Ria was worried you might have reached out to Ava. I see that she was right about that."

"Ava is my niece and she is in foster care. I wanted to make sure that they were treating her right. I wanted to know that she was okay. My lawyer said that if they weren't treating her right…he could help get her placed somewhere else. But she likes it there. She said the lady of the house treats her real nice. I gave her some money. She wanted to get highlights in her hair or something. I know Ria doesn't want to see me but…"

Cal quirked an eyebrow. "You're worried about her…why?"

"That's not any of your business. Ria's got a good thing going here with this job. I don't want to screw that up for her," said Lorenzo.

"Anything you tell me doesn't leave this room. I may work for law enforcement but I have a healthy level of disdain for them. Disdain means…"

Lorenzo cut him off. "I know what disdain means, Puto. I'm a criminal not uneducated."

Cal smirked slightly. "The two generally go hand in hand…"

"Yeah, cause Bernie Madoff was illiterate. Get the fuck out of here with that."

Cal chuckled. "Fair enough. Ria's job here is safe. She's a model employee and I'm dating her. I can't exactly fire someone I'm dating. It is a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen. What's going on with Ria? I'd like to help. Have a seat."

Lorenzo sat down in a chair in front of Cal's desk.

Cal went into his drawer and pulled out a frequency jammer. He sat it on the desk and turned it on. "Now we have complete privacy. What's going on?"

He had a seat.

"Ria might be a professional woman now…I'm proud of that. But she's from the streets and that never leaves you no matter how far you get away from it. And I can guarantee that when your back is up against the wall you go back to what comes natural. While I was in prison I was still in touch with some of the shot callers in the old neighborhood. They got word to me that Ria came to the neighborhood looking for a piece. She wanted something off the books, no serial numbers, and no bodies attached to it. They wanted to know if they should hook her up or not. I tried to get in contact with Ria a few times but she hung up on me every time. So, I had some friends reach out to Ava. I figured if anyone knew what kind of trouble Ria was in it'd be Ava."

Cal was a little surprised that Ria had not been completely honest with him last night when she mentioned Lorenzo. "What did Ava have to say?"

"She said awhile back she went to see Ria and she looked real beat up. Made up some lie about being car jacked. Ava believed her but I didn't. I reached out to a friend and asked them to look for recent car jackings…came back with nothing. I figured maybe she was in an abusive relationship or something like that. I put the word out to give her what she was looking for but make sure it was clean. When I was released I tried to get in touch with Ria again but…she told me off. I went to Ava and to find out about Ria's life…that's when she told me that my niece was dating her boss. But that she didn't think you'd abuse Ria."

"Ava was right about that. I'd never hurt Ria. Never."

"So, now I am asking you what the hell is going on with my niece and why does she need a gun that can't be traced?" asked Lorenzo.

Cal looked at his watch. "I think this is a conversation you should be having with your niece. I'll take you to her."

Lorenzo stood up and buttoned his suit jacket. "Thank you."

Cal nodded and turned off the frequency jammer. He dropped it back into his drawer and then led the way out to his car.

Lorenzo nodded his head to a silver 1967 Impala parked a few spaces away. "I'll follow you."

Cal said, "I'm on my way to George Washington Hospital. Do you know the way? Ria isn't a patient."

Lorenzo's face relaxed hearing that Ria wasn't hurt. "Yeah. I know how to get there."

"I'll meet you at the main entrance then," said Cal, he climbed into his car and waited until he saw Lorenzo get into the waiting Impala. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot headed toward the hospital.

He glanced in his rearview and saw that Lorenzo was following him pretty closely. Lightman noticed that Lorenzo was not the only person in the car. Ria's younger sister, Ava, was sitting in the passenger seat. He knew that Ria was going to hit the roof when she realized that Ava was with Lorenzo.

Cal reached the hospital in record time and searched the crowded lot for a space. After parking he walked into the hospital and waited by the information desk for Lorenzo and Ava.

Several minutes later the sliding doors opened and in walked the twosome.

Ava rushed over to Cal. "Why is Ria at a hospital if she isn't hurt?"

She was concerned that Cal had lied to her uncle while they were in private. She could admit that Lorenzo looked incredibly scary. The nice suit did nothing to detract from the visible tattoos on his neck and hands.

Cal said, "Her ex-boyfriend Loker is here having surgery. She is here waiting for news on him."

Ava calmed slightly and nodded. "Is Eli okay?"

Ria had introduced Ava and Loker months ago while they were still dating. He seemed a little dorky but Ava thought he was nice.

"He had surgery to remove his kidney and we are just waiting for him to wake up. I'll take you to her," said Cal.

He led them to the elevator and took them up to the ICU floor.

When they reached the floor Cal walked with them down to the waiting room. He looked around and saw Ria sitting with Foster.

Lorenzo said, "It doesn't matter if you introduce me or not. It isn't going to go well."

He walked into the waiting area and said, "Ria…"

Ria looked up and her face dropped seeing her uncle standing in front of her. She hadn't seen Lorenzo in person since she was about ten years old. Ria stood up with a scowl on her face. "What are you doing here, Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo said, "I'm worried about you. I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Ava is worried about you, too."

Ava stepped around the corner sheepishly. "Don't be mad, Ria. Uncle Lo thought that you might be more willing to listen to him if I was with him."

"Uncle Lo? Oh, so you two are buddies now? Are you stupid? You don't know him! You don't know anything about him! He's a murderer! Did he tell you that during your little reunion?"

Lorenzo said, "I'm not proud of the things that I have done but I'd never hide from them. I told Ava the truth about why I was in prison. I served 15 years for manslaughter for killing a rival gang member. I'm not that guy anymore. But we aren't here to talk about me. We are here to talk about why you bought a gun off of the street."

Ria's jaw tightened. "Announce it to the world why don't you!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hallway. Ria glared seeing Cal. "You brought him here?"

Cal said, "I figured it was the only way to get the truth from you."

Lorenzo said, "We can have this conversation in private…"

He nodded his head to a small prayer room open to family members of people in ICU.

Ria said, "Fine."

She walked into the small room. There was a couch and a couple of chairs in the room.

Everyone filed into the room and Cal closed the door behind them.

Ava asked, "Did you lie to me when you said that you were carjacked?"

Ria blew out a frustrated breath and nodded. "I wasn't carjacked. Someone broke into my home one night…I walked in while they were still there. It ended badly. Afterward I was scared so I wanted a gun. I wanted to be able to protect myself."

"Why not get a legal gun? You are a law abiding citizen," Lorenzo pointed out.

"I didn't want to wait for a background check and I didn't want anyone knowing that I'd been attacked. I made up the lie about the carjacking because Ava showed up at my place without calling. I didn't have the chance to…do my make-up and I didn't know if something was wrong so I couldn't just ignore her at the door."

Lorenzo looked at Ava and said, "Go get a soda."

Ava asked, "What? Why?"

Lightman took a couple dollars out of his wallet and said, "Your sister needs something to drink."

Ava said, "Alright."

She snatched the money and stormed out of the room.

Lorenzo said, "You are lying, Ria."

She scoffed. "Why would I lie to you? You are nothing to me."

"You lied to Ava that day and you are lying to me now. If you were robbed in your apartment…you would have just told Ava the truth. There would be no sense in lying about something like that. You lied because something happened that you didn't want her to know about. For someone who makes their living by finding liars…you sure are a bad one," said Lorenzo.

Ria glared at him as tears filled her eyes. "Fine! I got the gun because I was raped in my own apartment and the son of a bitch sent me a package in the mail to say that he'd be back to see me again. I wanted something to protect myself if he came back. I didn't want to get a gun legally because of the background checks. Cal has friends in the police department and he keeps tabs on the people that work for him. I didn't want him to find out I was getting a gun and ask why. I knew I wouldn't be able to lie to him. He'd see right through me and then I'd have to tell him the ugly truth! Now! Are you happy? Are you both happy?"

She stormed out of the room leaving the two men standing in the room alone.

Ava was standing outside the door with a look of disbelief on her face. "Why…didn't you tell me the truth? You didn't trust me? I'm your sister, Ria."

Ria put a hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her cries. She leaned against the wall and shook her head. "You're my little sister and it is my job to protect you from all of the ugly things in life. This was one of those things."

Ava rushed into Ria's arms and hugged her. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Ria. You don't have to protect me from everything. You didn't have to go through this alone. I could have been there for you."

She shook her head. "That's not your job."

"Then whose job is it?" asked Ava.


	15. Chapter 15

A few days later Ria laid in bed with her head resting on Cal's chest. The last couple of days had been a whirlwind. The good news was that Loker came through the surgery with flying colors and was on the mend. The bad news was that Daniel Greene was still on the loose.

Special Agent Dillon swore that they were closer than ever to bringing the deviant in. However, Ria didn't believe a word of it. Perhaps it was the microexpression of doubt she picked up as he spoke. Despite her best efforts to be brave Ria was absolutely terrified but she didn't allow that to change how she lived. Today she spent the majority of the day at the hospital sitting with Loker and went to lunch with her sister, Ava.

Leaving the house was a feat of monumental proportions. More than anything she wanted to lock herself in Cal's bedroom and never leave. The hardest part of today was filing a police report about her rape. She was grateful that the nurse at the hospital had convinced her to do a rape kit the night of the attack even though she didn't want to report the crime. There was evidence to back up her claims now that she'd changed her mind.

Cal caressed her back and asked, "Do you want to talk?"

Ria looked up toward his face. "Hmm?"

"You've been quiet since I got home tonight. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" asked Cal. He reached out and gently tilted her chin upward to maintain her gaze. The older man could feel how tense her body was at the moment.

She shook her head and rolled onto her back so that she was staring up at the ceiling. "I don't really have anything new to say. I wish that monster was dead or in jail and I won't feel safe until that happens. I'm happy that Loker is alive but I hate that any of this ever happened. I wish I could turn back time and do things differently but I can't so here I am. Did you visit Loker today?"

He caressed her back and said, "I stopped by the hospital on my way home tonight. He seemed to be in good spirits."

"I was wondering when you were going to go see him. Eli still looks at you as a mentor and a father figure even though he is pissed at you right now. He'd be hurt if you didn't visit with him."

Light chuckled. "Gillian told me something along the same lines this evening when I was preparing to leave the office. Has his father been there to see him?"

Ria shook her head. "As if he could ever be bothered. He's on a business trip and can't make it back until next week. I can't believe Eli turned out as well as he did with that man as his father. Did the two of you have a good talk?"

"He wasn't really supposed to be talking," said Cal.

She snorted. "As if that has ever stopped Loker. The first time I met him he talked non-stop."

"Eli was mostly concerned with your safety. He wanted to know that you were going to be okay."

Ria smiled a little. "I've been wondering that myself. Daniel seems untouchable. He's outsmarted how many branches of law enforcement? I am starting to lose hope."

Cal rolled onto his side and looked at Ria. "I know that I don't have a lot of faith in Bernerd, but he is going to close this case. He is motivated…more so than I've ever seen him. Even if you think he's a despicable human being you have to believe that he wants to close this case just to get a commendation that has to be in the works for bringing down a serial rapist. This is the sort of case that careers are made from."

Ria chuckled softly. "Now that I believe. He is always trying to prove himself. Never more so than when he is around you. You can tell that he has inadequacy issues. I wonder if that stems from a lackluster performance in the bedroom."

Cal quirked an eyebrow and gently tickled her side. "Do you often contemplate Bernerd's sexual exploits? Should I be jealous, Love?"

The tickling elicited giggles from the younger woman. She squirmed away to put distance between herself and Lightman's nimble fingers. "I don't know where that came from and I'd just as soon like to forget all about it. I imagine Agent Dillon's body is flabby, pale, and hairy. Not exactly what my sexual fantasies are made of."

"What a coincidence?! That is how I imagine Bernerd's body too. But then you like older men. Look at me. I do believe you are the youngest woman I've ever dated. Comparative to my own age I mean."

Ria's laughing died down and she was quiet for a minute after Lightman mentioned their age difference. "I saw on the caller ID that Zoe called earlier. Everything okay with Emily? If it is none of my business you can just tell me so."

She didn't want to appear to be the new girlfriend jealous of the ex-wife. The green eyed monster had already reared its' ugly head where Gillian was concerned. Ria didn't think a sequel starring Zoe was needed.

"I told Zoe that I think Emily should stay with her in Chicago until Daniel Greene is safely behind bars. I could be on his hit list and I don't want Emily to end up in this psychopath's crosshairs. Zoe agreed with me whole-heartedly on the subject."

She nodded slightly. "I am sorry about all of this, Cal. I put you in the middle of this situation. I know how much you really want Emily home with you. She's been gone for so long already. Not to mention you said yourself that she is leaning toward going to college in the Chicago area."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Greene would be after me even if I wasn't dating you, Ria. I am the one that convinced his brother-in-law to testify against him. I've cut a wide swath through his family and friends identifying the people that have helped him evade capture. I am sure that I am enemy number one."

Lightman left out what he'd learned from the psychological profile Foster conducted on Greene.

Ria smiled softly. Cal liked to pretend that he was a hardass but at the end of the day he was an incredibly loving man. It was one of the reasons she fell in love with him without even realizing it at first.

"Not being able to work is driving me crazy. I am not used to just sitting around doing nothing at all. The only good thing is that I get to spend more time with Ava. She's actually thinking of going to college. I'm proud of her. She asked if I would take her to tour a couple of schools. I just need to square it away with her foster mother."

Cal nodded. "That is quite a change for Ava. What schools is she interested in?"

"She is really interested in American University. I think she wants to stick close to…me. I never thought that I'd say this about Ava but I'd really like for her to stay close to home. I'd be worried about her if she decided to go to school in another state. American is a good school and her grades are good enough to get in."

"Sounds like she is finally getting her life together. I think that has everything to do with the relationship you've formed with her, Ria. She looks up to you more than she will ever admit," said Cal.

Ria nodded. "I know that now. Before I was so busy not trusting her that I didn't pay attention to the person she really was. Ava and I aren't that different. Her behavior was a façade. It was her way of protecting herself from the crappy life we've had. I know all about doing that. I'm happy for Ava and a little sad for myself."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I had this crazy idea that one day I'd go to college but I have a career now. I have a life, " said Ria. Her mind drifted back to the things Loker said to her in the break room the day he wanted to quit. There had been some truth to his accusations.

"Why can't you do both? A lot of schools have programs geared toward working people. If you want to go to college I think it would be a good idea," said Cal. He lightly brushed Ria's hair away from her face.

"You really think that is a good idea?"

"Why not? You are a smart girl, Ria. You shouldn't let anything hold you back from what you really want in life. You are still young. Your life is not set in stone," said Cal.

He hoped that Ria understood that he was talking about himself. He would never stand in the way of Ria's future.

Ria laid there in thought. She wondered if going to college and maintaining her job at the Lightman Group was even possible. She wouldn't be able to afford school without the job. Even if she didn't go to college it was nice knowing that Cal wanted that for her.

"Have you heard anything else from your uncle?" asked Cal. Their relationship or lack thereof was a subject of interest to him. He liked understanding what made Ria tick.

She scoffed. "I talked to him this afternoon. He wanted me to know that if I needed anything I could call him. Like I would ever call him for help."

"You can spot a liar in a crowded room. You have to know that his concern for you is genuine. Why are you punishing him? Is it because of the manslaughter charge?"

Ria shook her head and said, "No, I mean Lorenzo served his time and tried to better himself behind bars. I think that is admirable considering how deep into the life he was when he first went to prison."

"Then why do you give him the cold shoulder every time he tries to reach out to you?" asked Cal.

"No matter what I do…when I look at Lorenzo I see my father and that is one ghost I am not ready to confront. He looks so much like my dad. He even sounds like him. It all just takes me back to a time I'd rather forget."

He put an arm around Ria and drew her closer to him. "But you know that they are two different people. You have no reason to believe that he'd ever hurt you."

"Of course not. I barely knew Lorenzo when I was a kid. He was in and out of jail and heavy into the gangs. He didn't come around the family much because of that. He didn't want to bring the streets to our house. And then he went to prison for 15 years. Logically, I know that he isn't looking to hurt me. I know that he isn't my father. But there is part of me that is that scared little girl cowering in the corner so that my father can't get to me. I know that I am being hard on him but…I've been protecting myself for this long. I don't know how to stop now."

* * *

Early the next morning Ria walked into the kitchen and started breakfast. She was absolutely starving. Ria hadn't really had an appetite in the last couple days. She was glad to see that it was finally returning. She glanced around the kitchen and smiled. She really did like her life here with Cal. Maybe Loker was wrong. Maybe she could have it all.

Ria put together a simple breakfast casserole and tossed it into the oven. Today seemed like a good day to have breakfast in bed with Cal. She had given their conversation from last night a lot of thought before she finally went sleep. Ria wanted to discuss college with him over breakfast.

She chuckled to herself and went back to slicing fruit for breakfast when she heard a knock at the door. She glanced at the time and saw that it was barely 7 AM and it was a Saturday morning.

Ria washed and dried her hands quickly and went to the front door. She looked out of the peephole and saw a man in some type of delivery uniform holding a bouquet of flowers.

Ria opened the door cautiously.

"Good morning. I am looking for Ms. Ria Torres. I have a flower delivery for her."

"Morning. That's me," said Ria.

He handed a greeting card to Ria along with a bouquet of red roses. "Have a good day."

"You too," said Ria. She closed the door with her hip and made sure the door was securely locked before returning to the kitchen. Ria smiled assuming that the flowers were from Cal. She removed the greeting card from its' envelope and began reading it.

Her eyes widened as the card fell from her shaking hands and floated in the air until it landed on the kitchen floor. Ria stood there in shock for only a moment before picking up the card and walking back to the front door.

She threw the door open and craned her neck from side to side looking for the agents that were assigned to keep an eye on her. Ria spotted the dark sedan halfway down the block and marched herself down there. She knocked on the driver's side window impatiently.

The window slowly lowered and an agent asked, "Is there something wrong, Ms. Torres?"

Ria glared at him and shoved the greeting card at the agent causing several pictures to spill out of the card onto his lap.

The man carefully examined the card and realized that pictures were of him and his partner sleeping in the car the previous night. There were a couple of snapshots of the agents stocking up on junk food from a local gas station. There were more than a few shots of Ria being escorted home by the agents.

"Tell me again how the two of you are supposed to keep me safe when he could just as easily pick the two of you off like sitting ducks," said Ria.

She didn't wait for a reply. Ria turned around and strode back to the house with determination. She needed a gun and quick. Counting on the agents to protect her just wasn't going to cut it. Greene was crafty and dangerous.

Ria slammed the front door and locked it. She went to the kitchen and tossed the flower arrangement into the trash can. Ria felt dirty for having even touched them.

After washing her hands she went upstairs to the bedroom and went straight to the walk-in closet. Ria started emptying her shoeboxes and sifting through the contents.

Lightman was roused from his deep sleep by the banging sounds coming from his closet. His eyes shot open and he looked toward the closet. "Ria?"

"Go back to sleep, Cal," said Ria.

He sat up in the bed more processing the tone of her voice. Ria didn't sound scared or upset. His protégé sounded pissed off. That was worse than her being scared or upset. Cal slipped out of the bed and walked over to the closet. He watched as Ria kneeled on the floor searching shoe boxes and purses for some coveted item. "What is going on, love?"

He leaned against the door frame watching her cautiously. Obviously, something had set her off early this morning.

"I am looking for my gun. The agents are incompetent and they are going to get me killed or worse. Apparently, they don't know when they are being tailed and surveilled."

She'd put the gun away after moving in with Cal. She was with him the majority of the time and felt quite safe. Not to mention at the time she didn't think Daniel Greene would be looking for her at Cal's house. All of that had changed. He knew where she was and had every intention of seeing her again and soon if the sentiments in his heartfelt greeting card were to be believed.

Cal said, "Your gun isn't in the closet anymore. I moved it."

Ria looked at him with wild eyes. "Well, where is it?"

"I put it in my safe. I was worried that you might fly off the handle," said Cal.

She frowned seeing the odd expression on his face. "Well, that was a big lie. Why did you really move the gun, Cal? And when?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck tiredly. It was too early to be thrust into an argument. "I moved it not along after you moved in here. I was worried that…Ria you were incredibly emotional and you were all over the place."

"You thought that I was going to kill myself?" asked Ria.

Cal said, "I can't say that it didn't cross my mind. Can you say that it didn't cross yours?"

His question was rewarded with silence and dewy eyes from Ria.

It took a moment but Ria finally regained her senses. "Statistically, women are less likely to use a firearm in a suicide attempt."

"Good to know but then you aren't what I'd call the average woman. Why don't you come out of the closet, take a deep breath, and tell me exactly what set you off this morning? I am still sketchy on the details at the moment. I was in a pretty sound sleep before you started throwing things around like a madwoman." He flashed a small smiled and offered Ria his hand.


	16. Chapter 16

Cal had a seat next to Ria on their bed and put his arm around her shoulders. He could see the toll this ordeal was taking on her and more than anything he wanted to help. "Maybe we should leave town again. You felt safer when we were in Chicago. We could go back. The bureau certainly hasn't done a good job of keeping you safe. I shouldn't have trusted them with protecting you."

Ria's eyes closed and she shook her head. She showed a flicker of a smile, "I can't run away from this, Cal. There is no telling when or even if the FBI will find this maniac. We can't run away forever, no matter how attractive escaping all of this madness sounds. You have a job to do here at the Lightman Group and so do I."

He didn't want to admit that the Lightman Group's bottom line was taking a small hit while he was otherwise occupied. However, Gillian and the other associates were keeping things afloat. Not to mention the FBI was paying a hefty fee for Cal's assistance in this case. However, there was no denying that his attentions were in other directions at the moment.

"What can I do to make you feel safer?" asked Cal. He was willing to try just about anything at the moment.

She shrugged her shoulders and gave his question some honest thought. The police didn't make her feel safe. They were incompetent or just didn't care about her safety. "Teach me to fight," said Ria.

Cal quirked an eyebrow at his protégé and frowned deeply at the thought of sparring with Ria. He knew better than anyone the depth of injuries a person could sustain while sparring. Sometimes the natural flow of things led to bruises or worse. Cal wasn't fond of the idea of taking any chances with hurting Ria. "I don't know if I am the right person for the job. You were taking kickboxing classes at the gym. You could always start back with those if you want. Maybe you could start working with a personal trainer."

"I already know how to kickbox. That isn't what I am asking for. I want to know how to kick Daniel Greene's ass if he ever has the gall to show himself. You've done bare knuckle fighting for years. Who better to teach me than you?" asked Ria.

Cal lightly brushed her dark hair away from her face. He shook his head and said, "I could hurt you while we are practicing. I am stronger than you are, Ria. I admit that I am experienced but things still happen. I'd never get over hurting you in any way and I don't think you'd get over it either. Your childhood…"

"What does my childhood have to do with anything, Cal?" asked Ria pointedly.

He took a tired breath and said, "You come from a very abusive background that scarred you in ways that even you probably don't altogether realize yet."

She huffed and asked, "Could you get to the point sometime in the next decade? Sparring is not the same thing as someone beating you to a bloody pulp."

"Gillian was telling me about some research that suggests childhood abuse can lead to PTSD like symptoms as an adult. You already show the signs of hyper vigilance. You have issues with intrusive recollection. I've witnessed the nightmares you still have about your father attacking you. You do everything in your power to avoid dealing with the trauma at all. If we are sparring together and I accidentally hit you too hard…you could have a flashback. If you looked at me like that, like an abuser, I'd have a hard time getting over it and so would you."

Ria took one of Lightman's hands into both of hers and looked into his eyes, "Cal, I trust you more than I trust anyone in the world. You have helped me feel closer to normal than I have ever felt. I'm never afraid when I am with you…even when you get angry with me. I never flinch when you yell because I know you'd never hurt me. I've never had that with any other man. Sometimes even Loker raising his voice was enough to give me pause. I knew he wouldn't hurt me but it was a knee jerk fear reaction that I just couldn't control. I just did a good job of covering up so that I didn't make him feel bad. I don't have that feeling when I'm with you. I want to be able to protect myself if Daniel Greene comes after me and I think this is the way to do it. Or would you rather I carry a gun around?"

Cal frowned deeply when Ria mentioned the gun. Just like that his protégé had struck the right chord and there was no way he could deny her now. The idea of Ria walking around with a gun scared him. She was jittery and terrified. Her having a firearm was a recipe for disaster if anyone accidentally scared her or caught her off guard on the street.

Even more alarming was the fact that Ria was still battling depression on a fairly regular basis. They didn't have pain or sleeping pills in the house but a gun would be a suitable substitute. He had no idea how bad this situation with Daniel Greene would get. There was no way to guess the level of despair Ria might feel in a week's or month's time.

The internal struggle was a difficult one but at the end of the day Cal knew that teaching Ria bare knuckling fighting was the only way to make both of them comfortable. He blew out a breath and nodded, "Alright, you have a deal. We'll start practicing tomorrow morning at 5 AM before work. Well, get in a good work out and then I'll unleash you on the heavy bag."

Ria threw her arms around Cal and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! I just really need to feel in control of myself right now."

"Well, that is one of the principles of a disciplined fighter. You aren't just a loaded weapon that goes off at any time. You work to control yourself, be responsible, and diligent."

"Why do you want me hit the heavy bag first? I have experience kickboxing. I'm not exactly a novice when it comes to physical combat, Ria pointed out.

"The heavy bag is the starting point. You can't just jump into the ring and start throwing punches. I mean you could but then you'd have absolutely no skills. Boxing and bare knuckle fighting have some of the same tenets as kickboxing but there are some important differences. If I'm going to teach you then I am going to do it the right way. Deal?" asked Cal.

She smiled and nodded. "We have a deal."

"Now do you think we can go to work for the day?" asked Cal.

Ria kissed him softly, "I'd much rather stay home in bed with you, but if we just have to go to work then I am ready for it. It will be good to feel useful again. Are you letting me back out into the field?"

Cal smirked and said, "I'd much rather be in home in bed with you as well, but we've left Gillian alone with the associates long enough. With Loker out of commission we need all hands on deck. I know you prefer working outside of the office, but I am not comfortable sending you out in the field because Greene is stalking you. However, I'd like for you to run the video lab. We have several hours of film to watch. Same event just footage from different camera angles."

"Different angles equal different people. How many people are we talking?" asked Ria, she was becoming more interested in the task ahead.

"The security footage is from a corporate charity auction. The CEO was murdered in plain sight. Someone poisoned him. His killer was in that room. We just have to find out that person's identity," Cal explained.

Ria smiled, "Well, that sounds like an intriguing case, but sitting in the video lab all day doesn't sound great. It sounds like a mind numbing day of darkness in the lab by myself."

Cal moved in and pressed a loving kiss to her lips, "Short of myself there is no one better at identifying microexpressions on film. You do it faster than anyone else that works for me and you won't be alone. I am assigning to associates to help you catalog the microexpressions that warrant further analysis."

She laughed and stood up from the bed. "You mean that you want to check my work. You know that I'll catch all the looks but you aren't sure that I'll make the right judgment call."

Cal smirked but didn't respond.

"Just for that I get the shower first. You can wait," said Ria. She grabbed her robe and headed into the bathroom for a hot shower.

Cal chuckled softly and picked up his cell phone from the bedside table. He walked out of the bedroom as he called Gillian's phone.

Gillian answered the call almost immediately. "Cal, I heard what happened this morning. How is Ria doing?"

Cal paused and asked, "How did you hear about what happened?"

"Agent Dillon stopped by the office this morning to brief me on the case and to pick up those threat assessment reports we constructed on Daniel Greene's known associates. He told me about Ria getting the flowers and the pictures. Is she okay?"

He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He glanced at the overcooked breakfast casserole. Cal picked a piece of chorizo out and popped it into his mouth. "She panicked in the beginning but I think she's on an even keel for the moment. We're coming into the office together in the next hour or so. I'm going to put her on the Wysocki case."

"I know that she isn't going to want to hear this and you probably won't want to either, but in my professional opinion I think Ria could benefit from going on Lexapro to treat her depression and anxiety. It is important that we stabilize her condition while we still have the opportunity," said Gillian.

"Love, I just told you that she's on an even keel right now. There is no reason to start trotting out the hard stuff. It is just going to make Ria feel like we're calling her crazy."

Gillian said, "She is barely holding on day-to-day, Cal. You need to be honest with yourself about what is really going on here. Ria is in a bad place and she can't be objective or honest with herself. Her coping mechanism is to pretend that everything is okay. She can't be her own advocate in this case. We are going to have to look out for her best interest and that may mean being the bad guy. I know that she is okay for the moment but it takes an anti-depressant anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks before positive changes are felt by the patient. We can't wait until she's in the throes of a crisis to get her on medication. She's struggling now but coping, barely. The time for medication is now."

Cal had a seat at the island and popped another piece of chorizo in his mouth. He knew this idea was going to go over like a lead balloon with Ria. Cal wasn't looking forward to having this conversation with her. However, Lightman was well aware of just how precarious Ria's hold on sanity was at the moment. From one day to the next Cal never really knew what mental state he'd find her in. "You've made your point, Gillian. What do you suggest?"

Gillian almost sighed in relief. Ria's state of mind was something that had been weighing on her conscience as of late. She cared about the young woman on a professional and personal level. However, Gillian was also worried about what would happen if Ria did commit suicide. She didn't think Cal would recover from such a loss. The guilt would undoubtedly devour him. "I'll write the prescription but I think you should be the one to talk to her about it. You have a great rapport with her. I think if anyone is going to convince Ria to take the medication it will be you."

Lightman wasn't thrilled with the idea but said, "I guess I will talk to Ria about it tonight after work. I want her to be able to focus on the task at hand before then. Focusing on work will be good for her. I need to go. Ria should be out of the shower soon. I'll see you later on."

He ended the call and sighed.

* * *

Cal walked into Ria's office and cocked his head to one side. The associates had long since gone home, but she appeared to be still hard at work. He had a bottle of Stoli Vodka in one hand and two glasses in the other. "Putting the finishing touches on your report?"

Ria smiled and shook her head, "I've already finished my report and put it into the system for you to review. I finished that a couple hours ago after everyone else left. I can't concentrate when they are yammering about whatever."

He moved to the desk and poured a glass of vodka for the both of them. "Well, since you're done with work for the day you can join me in having a drink. It has been one of those days. How are you feeling?"

She accepted the glass and took a quick gulp. Ria relaxed back into the chair and said, "It was okay. I feel bad that I haven't seen Loker today, but I called to check in on him. He was jealous that I was running the video lab while he was in the hospital. You know that is his favorite thing."

"He does like to show off for the associates. They are always in awe of his awesome talent. Although, I usually put him to shame if he grandstands too much," joked Cal.

She smiled lightly and replied, "You know, Loker doesn't do the grandstanding for the associates' benefit. They already think he walks on water. He does that to prove himself to you. He wants you to know that he's just as good as you are."

Cal smirked and said, "But he isn't…"

"I don't think anyone is as good as you are, but Loker and I have years to develop and hone our skills. We have a longer trajectory to improve. There will come a day when we're both better than you."

Cal walked behind Ria and lightly massaged her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head and said, "I suppose I had better enjoy my reign while it lasts. It would appear that I've been put on notice. So, if you aren't working on your report for the Wysocki case, then what are you doing? I was expecting you to come by my office to order dinner. I've been waiting for an hour."

She laughed and said, "You're lying. I smell onions on your breath. You popped out to get a chili dog from O'Reilly's Pub and you didn't bring me back one."

He finished off his glass of vodka with a smile and said, "That was a couple hours ago before I made it back to the office. I just smell like it because I haven't brushed my teeth and I'm out of breath mints. So, are you going to tell me what you are doing or do I need to read over your shoulder?"

Ria closed her laptop and swiveled around in the chair. "You say that as if you weren't already doing that, honey."

Cal shrugged and refilled his glass. He pulled a chair around to Ria's side of the desk and had a seat. "Call me curious. I'm even more intrigued since you seem to be deflecting."

She chuckled and held up her glass for a refill, "I've decided to research a couple of universities to see what requirements they have for admission. Application deadlines for next Fall are in late November and early December. They are a lot sooner than I'd imagined. If I am serious about starting college…then I need to get a move on. So tonight I reviewed the online applications for the universities I am interested in. No, I am not telling you which two in case I don't get into them. Anyway, they both require an essay and that's what I was working on when you walked into my office."

He refilled her glass and picked up his own as he thought about this new information. Cal was more than a little surprised. They'd talked about her attending college only briefly. However, it seemed that the conversation had been motivation enough to get on with the process. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I'm very proud of you, Ria. I know that this is something that you really want. I think it is good that you are going after it. So can I read this essay?"

Ria chuckled, "I am nervous about how good or bad this essay is going to turn out, but I trust you. You'll be the first one to read it once I'm done. I really would like your input on it."

"I'd be honored to read it."

"I am a little nervous. I keep thinking that this is all crazy. I mean, I'm not what you'd call a traditional student by any stretch of the imagination," said Ria.

He chuckled at her nervous behavior. "You aren't that old either. You are about 6 years older than most of the incoming freshmen but that gives you a leg up on the competition. You are older and more responsible. More importantly you are enrolling because this is what you want to do. Mommy and Daddy aren't making you go to school. And you already have a good paying job, if I don't say so myself."

"Well, you have a good point there. I'm doing this because it is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I couldn't help feeling like I'd missed out on something. Thank you for being so supportive of this, Cal. You helped give me the extra push that I needed to take the next step. I've even been looking at possible majors."

He perked up at that, "What do you think you want to study, love?"

"Well, I'm thinking of a double major in psychology and sociology. I love what I do and I think either of those majors would just help me be better at my job. Understanding the human condition is a huge part of interpreting what's behind those microexpressions. I can pick them out but I'd like to know why they're there," Ria explained.

He nodded and said, "That's a very reasoned explanation. Psychology isn't really my area but I think that you'd do well."

"Why do you think psychology isn't your area?"

"Well, Carl Rogers believed that in order to be a good therapist you had to be empathic, genuine, and offer unconditional positive regard. When have you ever seen any of those things from me," asked Cal.

Ria moved to sit on Cal's lap and took a sip from his glass since hers was now empty. "You are full of it. You are capable of all of those things when it is important to you. You've been all of those things to Emily, Gillian, Loker, and me. You aren't the hardass you like to pretend to be, Cal. I've seen inside the real you and I love it."

Cal set his glass on the desk and leaned in kissing her lips. "Oh, you love it? You taste like vodka."

She laughed softly and changed positions so that she was straddling his lap. Ria leaned in and tenderly kissed Cal. She pulled back slightly looking into his eyes and whispered, "I love that about you and I love you too. I love all of you. I even love the parts of you that make me want to smother you with a pillow on occasion."

Cal reached around and unzipped Ria's dress and asked, "How often do you think about smothering me with a pillow? Maybe we should have Gillian give you a psych eval. I might have burgeoning psychopath on my hands."

She giggled and started unbuttoning Cal's shirt and said, "Let's see…I think about it when you are being a know-it-all or pushing me to tell you things that I don't want to tell you."

"So that pretty much means you want to smother me all of the time?" asked Cal laughing harder.

"Lucky for you the same things that make me want to murder you in your sleep also made me fall madly in love with you," said Ria.

Cal smirked and traced her jawline with the pad of his thumb. He whispered, "I love you too."


	17. Chapter 17

Cal sat in silence in the living room with a glass of whiskey in one hand and his gun resting on the end table beside him. It had been four days since Greene sent Ria the bouquet of flowers and the FBI was no closer to apprehending the mad man. Just this morning another rape victim surfaced in Silver Springs, Maryland. That was too close for comfort.

To Ria's credit she was handling the situation admirably. She spent her days working at the Lightman Group and her nights assembling application materials.

After some convincing on Lightman's part, Ria agreed to apply to more than one school. He was concerned that a rejection would put her off and he knew how much going to college meant to Ria. Cal believed that she deserved a shot at a somewhat normal life. That was especially true after the ordeal she'd suffered at Greene's hands.

Cal took a swallow of the whiskey and stared out the window next to his chair. For last few nights he'd taken up his guard position in the living room after Ria went to sleep for the night. He was determined to kill Greene before he ever got the opportunity to get near her again.

The bureau had assigned new agents to protect Ria but neither she nor Cal trusted them after the last batch's startling incompetence. So instead it was up to Lightman to keep Ria safe. It made him feel like he had some small measure of control in a chaotic situation.

Lightman moved to refill his glass when he heard footsteps. He quickly got to his feet and picked up the gun. Cal quietly eased out of the living room trying to track where the sounds were coming from.

Cal moved closer to the kitchen and took the safety off the gun. He walked into the room and flipped on the lights with one hand while aiming the gun with his other.

Ria screamed in surprise and dropped a bottle of vodka onto the floor. The glass container shattered on impact and sent vodka and shards of glass flying into Ria's legs and the nearby cabinets.

Cal put the safety on the gun and set it on the counter. He stormed over to Ria and yelled, "What are you doing sneaking around the kitchen in the dark? I could have killed you!"

Ria felt like her heart might burst out of her chest. She glared at Cal and asked, "What the hell are you doing walking around the house with a gun? Is that thing loaded?"

Cal just glared at Ria thinking that was a completely ridiculous question.

Ria shook her head, "I woke up and you weren't in bed. I decided to come down to get a drink."

"Of vodka?" asked Cal, he looked down at the broken bottle and sighed heavily.

Ria bristled at his tone of voice and took a step toward him and said, "It doesn't smell like you've been drinking warm milk down here. I can smell the whiskey coming off of you."

She took another step toward him and howled in pain. "Son of a bitch!"

Cal said, "Stop moving before you impale yourself with another piece of glass!"

He lifted Ria up and set her on the counter before grabbing the broom and dustpan.

Ria pulled her leg up onto the counter and glanced at her foot. She tore off a sheet of paper towel and gripped the shard of glass. She groaned in pain but with a little effort was able to wrest the glass from her foot. She dropped the piece glass onto the counter and then pressed the paper towel to her bleeding foot.

She watched Cal cleaning up her mess and then looked over to the gun he'd left on the counter. "You never did answer my question about why you are patrolling the house with a gun. Did you hear a noise or something?"

Cal shot her a look and then emptied the glass into the garbage can.

Ria huffed and said, "I mean besides me."

Cal shook his head and said, "I couldn't sleep so I came down here to sit."

Ria asked, "Where? The house was pitch black when I came down to the kitchen. I thought you'd gone into your office or fallen asleep somewhere else."

Cal eyes fluttered closed in frustration. He'd kept his nightly guard duty a secret from Ria. He always took his post after she was asleep and made sure he made it back upstairs before she awakened in the morning. Cal didn't want his fear to make the situation any scarier for Ria. "I was sitting in the living room having a drink. I wasn't in the mood to watch TV or anything. I just wanted a little peace and quiet."

Ria nodded and said, "Oh, I guess I pretty well destroyed that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Cal moved so that he was between her legs. He leaned his forehead against hers and said, "I think I should be the one apologizing for pulling a gun on you. I'm sorry."

She smiled a little. "Well, you did scare the hell out of me. I'm just glad you turned on the light before deciding to shoot the intruder."

Ria paused as if something just dawned on her. She looked up into Cal's eyes studying his face carefully. "You thought that I was Greene," she choked out the name of her attacker with venom.

Lightman's hazel eyes saddened and he nodded.

She took a breath and asked, "How long have you been awake, Cal?"

"A couple hours," Cal answered.

Ria had her suspicions but decided that it was best not to push the issue. Why ask for answers she didn't really want? "Can we go to bed now?"

Cal chuckled and asked, "Do you still want your drink?"

She shook her head and said, "I think I've had all the excitement I can handle. I just want to go to bed. Are you coming?"

Cal nodded and said, "Sure. Just let me mop up the vodka and I'll meet you upstairs."

Ria smiled and said, "Okay. I am going to go clean my foot and put on a band aid."

Cal kissed her softly and then helped Ria off of the counter.

She hobbled slightly as she walked upstairs.

Cal leaned against the kitchen counter barely able to catch his breath. He could have shot Ria in their kitchen because of his obsession with Greene. He was beginning to think that she wasn't the only one coming unhinged because of this ordeal. Cal took a few deep breaths and decided he'd talk to Gillian about the situation first thing in the morning. He needed a fresh perspective on the incident.

Cal was about to mop up the liquor when a glint of something caught his eye. He stooped down and picked up his sterling silver flask. Cal looked toward the hallway thinking about Ria. He sighed and shook his head. Lightman tossed the flask onto the counter and grabbed the swiffer.

He used the swiffer to clean up the vodka and then picked up his gun before heading upstairs to the bedroom.

Ria was seated on the bed putting a band aid on her foot. She looked up hearing Cal walk into the room and smiled, "Thank you for cleaning up my mess."

He put his gun away in the bedside table and watched Ria for a minute.

Cal leaned down and kissed her, "It was our mess. I'm the one that scared you. How's your foot?"

"It'll ache for a few days but other than that it is fine."

"Good…"

Ria looked at Cal confused and asked, "Is something wrong?"

He took a breath and ran a hand over his head. "I've been avoiding talking to you about a situation. I guess I was hoping it wouldn't be necessary but I can't really put it off any longer."

"What are you talking about? Is something wrong? Is this about Daniel Greene?" asked Ria.

Cal had a seat next to Ria and said, "No, this is about you and what has been going on with you. I know that you are trying so hard to be strong and get through this but…maybe it is a good time to think about taking an anti-depressant."

Ria's eyes widened and her breathing picked up. Logically she knew that anti-depressants were meant to help. However, at the moment she felt like Cal was saying that she was crazy. "No."

Lightman sighed heavily and said, "I'm worried about you. I am worried about the toll all of this is taking on you, Ria. Anyone would need help under these circumstances. You have been through so much and it seems never-ending."

She said, "I am fine, Cal!"

Cal said, "You are getting up in the middle of night to have a drink. I think you are trying to self-medicate and we both know what that can turn into."

"You were drinking tonight too. Why aren't you on an anti-depressant?" asked Ria.

"Because I'm already an alcoholic, love," answered Cal.

Ria blinked looking at him. That was as honest as he'd ever been with her. She shook her head, "No, you are not."

"I am a textbook case for alcohol dependence, love. I have been for a long time I just work hard to make sure that it doesn't impact my work and I surround myself with smart people that are capable of doing the work if I need to take a step back," said Cal.

She shook her head and said, "I live with you. You are not an alcoholic, Cal. You drink on occasion."

He said, "I drink every night before bed. Not one little drink with dinner, but several drinks throughout the evening. You waking up in the middle of the night for a drink…says something."

Ria bit her lip and said, "I woke up from a nightmare and you weren't in bed with me and…I thought if I had a little something to drink I'd go right back to sleep."

Cal kissed her softly and said, "I don't want that for you. I don't want the depression to consume you. I don't want to lose you to anything. The anti-depressants don't have to be permanent, Ria. You can just take them until our lives hit and even keel again."

She hastily wiped away her tears and glared at him. "How long have you thought I needed the pills?"

He sighed and shook his head, "Tonight when I found you in the kitchen with the bottle. Gillian brought it up a couple days ago but I didn't mention it to you because…I thought I could make sure that you were okay. I found the flask in the kitchen, Ria."

Her face dropped and stared down at her hands unwilling to even look in his direction. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to put together her thoughts.

"How long have you been using my flask, Ria?" asked Cal in a quiet voice.

She cleared her throat and said, "Since we came back from Chicago."

Cal gathered her into his arms and said, "It's okay. You were just coping the best way that you know how, but if you are going to medicate with a drug…it should be something you get from a doctor."

Ria just sobbed and shook her head. "I just didn't know how to make the pain stop. It won't stop."

He nodded holding her against his chest. "I know, love. I'll call Gillian in the morning and see if she can't get her friend to squeeze you in tomorrow. I'll take off work to go with you."

Ria shook her head and said, "I don't want anyone we know to know that I've been…"

"Gillian doesn't have to know why we made the decision to see the psychiatrist. She can just use her connections to get us in to see one tomorrow. I promise I will keep everything else to myself. It will stay between the two of us. You have my word, Ria," Cal promised.

Ria sniffled and nodded slightly, "Okay."

Cal reached over a pulled a few tissues from the Kleenex box and handed them to Ria. "I know that this is scary but we will get through this together."

She dried her eyes and then her cheeks and nodded slightly. "I'm scared."

Cal moved back onto the bed and pulled Ria into his arms. He lightly caressed her arms and kissed the back of her head. Cal couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed Ria's change in behavior. It would seem that Ria was better at masking her behavior around Cal than anyone else he'd ever known.

Ria's ability to trick Cal was a double edged sword. On the one hand it made easier for Ria to have secrets and some measure of privacy, which in a relationship was necessary. Cal had learned that the hard way with Zoe. One of their biggest problems was that he always knew the truth even when she didn't want him to.

However, the down side about Ria hiding things from Cal was that at her core she was troubled. Ria's past conditioned her to keep all of her pain inside. She was no stranger to suffering in silence. However, this wasn't a situation she could just internalize and keep going. This kind of pain could swallow Ria whole and he'd lose her forever. That notion scared him more than anything else.

Ria stared up at the ceiling and relaxed into Cal's warm embrace. She quietly said, "Sometimes I wonder if you come from darkness can you ever escape it. I mean if you're broken from the beginning can you fix that or are you…what if my broken isn't broken? Maybe it is just who I was born to be. Like a mutated gene or something. I mean there has to be something more than environmental factors and learned behaviors. I can't be this screwed up by accident."

Cal gave Ria's question some serious consideration because it was one that he'd often asked of himself. He said, "I think that it is possible. I think we are both examples of people that are broken but have found a way to live anyway. I told you about my father and the things that he did to me and my mother. I might have inherited his alcoholism but I have never abused Emily. I was never abusive toward Zoe or any woman I've ever been in a relationship with. I never have and never could."

Ria nodded slightly but didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say in response. All she knew was that the pain had to stop before she accidentally did some real damage to herself.

"Ria?"

She turned her head to look at Cal's questioning eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You know that you can come to be about anything to talk. I know that I turn to Gillian for help in a lot of situations but if you ever want there to be something just between the two of us…I won't say a word. I'm in a relationship with you…not Gillian."

Ria smirked and asked, "Are you sure about that?"

Cal tickled her side and said, "Watch the sarcasm."

She laughed and said, "I know that I can talk to you, Cal. My silence has nothing to do with Gillian. I just get tired of being so incredibly depressing. I want to be happy. I don't want you to get tired of me and my problems. I mean, how often have we had the opportunity to just enjoy the fact that we are together? My baggage always resurfaces."

He said, "Hey…look at me."

Ria turned her head to look at Cal again.

"A psychotic rapist targeting you is not baggage. You have every right to be afraid, Ria," said Cal.

"Right but how do I respond? I try to turn myself into a damn alcoholic. That is not how a normal person would react," complained Ria.

"First, no one knows how they would react in any situation until they are tossed into the fire. Second, no one understands exactly what you are going through. This entire situation has been one big nightmare and you have handled it as well as you can. Third, this situation is by no means normal! Having someone stalking you and threatening you is not normal. Having someone attack your friends is not normal. You have the right to freak the hell out, love. I know that I have."

Ria laughed and said, "Yeah, right. You've been yourself this entire time. I think you've become more…I don't know… stable the longer this thing drags out."

Cal frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that it was best to just come clean. Maybe if Ria knew that he was struggling too she wouldn't feel so ashamed of her own struggles.

He took a breath and said, "I lied to you earlier."

Ria quirked an eyebrow at Cal and asked, "About what?"

She wasn't really used to Cal lying to her. In general, the man was honest to a fault. She couldn't imagine what he'd be lying to her about.

"I wasn't up tonight because I couldn't sleep. I've been up every night since those flowers were delivered. I sit up at night with my gun and wait…"

Ria's mouth dropped open a little at shock. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't you just tell me that?"

"I didn't want you to have to worry about how this situation was affecting me. I didn't want you to be scared knowing that…I'm scared too," said Cal, he shook his head and sighed.

Ria reached out and touched his scruffy face. "You think I don't know that you are scared, Cal? You aren't the only one in this relationship that can read microexpressions. I know that you are worried about Gillian, Loker, and me. I know that you are worried about everyone that works at the Lightman Group. You take the weight of the world on your shoulders because you feel responsible for all of us."

He rolled his eyes at her and said, "You are starting to sound like Gillian."

She smiled and said, "Good, because in this instance she is right. You worry about all of us. I know that you are scared too. You didn't need to lie to me about something like that. Keeping secrets like that can get someone hurt."

Cal said, "You have a point there. Tonight in the kitchen could have gone very different."

"We both need to start making better decisions. I need to stop running from my problems and you need to stop treating me like I'm fragile. I'm already broken, Cal. You aren't going to break me anymore," said Ria.

He smiled and said, "That is good to know. Just come to me if you ever need me, Ria. Promise me."

She said, "I promise, Cal."

Lightman chuckled quietly and leaned his head against the headboard for a moment.

Ria said, "Cal…"

He opened one eye to look at her. "Hmm?"

"I need you," said Ria.

He tightened his grip around her and said, "I'm right here, love. I'm right here."


	18. Chapter 18

Ria walked into the psychiatrist's office after having sat in the waiting room for 45 minutes. She had already completed an intake form and given a full medical and psychological history about herself and her family. Ria couldn't believe the information the psychiatrist claimed to need. Intrusive didn't even begin to describe the forms. She could only hope that session with the psychiatrist would move swiftly.

She kept reminding herself that this was for Cal. She didn't like seeing the fear in his eyes. He was truly worried that she was going to hurt herself. Truthfully, she was concerned about her drinking. There were drug addicts and alcoholics littered throughout her family. She didn't believe that people were slaves to their DNA but it certainly didn't help.

She frowned at the cheerful woman that greeted her at the door. Ria hoped this would be quick and painless. "Hi, I'm Ria Torres. Gillian Foster said that I should come see you."

The woman smiled and shook Ria's hand with both of hers. "I'm Dr. Veronica Sullivan but you can just call me Veronica. It's nice to meet you, Ria."

Ria forced a smile, "Likewise."

She sighed feeling her palms start to turn a little sweaty. The last thing she wanted to do was come off as a nutcase in front of this woman. She couldn't believe that she was actually here. There were names for people that needed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication and in her old neighborhood none of those names were nice. It was better to be a criminal than to seek help for a mental illness.

"Please have a seat," said Veronica. She walked to her desk and picked up the intake form Ria filled out earlier as well as a portfolio.

Ria looked at the seating options in the office and frowned again. There were two arm chairs that were sort of facing one another. There was also a comfortable looking couch placed against the back wall. On the other side of the room was a desk and two chairs were placed in front of that as well.

Finally she looked at Veronica and asked, "Where should I sit?"

Veronica smiled, "You can sit wherever you'd like. I'm pretty flexible. I just want my patients to be comfortable. I've even had a couple people that chose to sit on the floor."

Ria nodded and sat in the very corner of the couch and crossed her legs nervously. She smoothed her dress into place and placed her folded hands on her lap. Ria felt like she was being judged for the spot she picked to sit in. She wondered if that said anything significant about her personality.

Veronica pulled one of the armchairs closer to the couch and had a seat. She was a woman that looked to be in her 60's. Her chocolate brown hair was graying but she still appeared youthful. "So, why are you here?"

"Uh, Gillian thought it might be a good idea if I started taking anti-depressants so she recommended that I come in to see you. I have a lot on my schedule so I was hoping that you could write that prescription so that I can get out of here."

Veronica nodded and said, "I understand that you are a busy person, but I wouldn't feel comfortable prescribing an anti-depressant without talking to you first. I hope that is okay."

Ria scoffed and said, "Every other psychiatrist I know does that. They do like a 15 minute assessment hand you a prescription and send you on your merry way."

"Well, you are right that a lot of psychiatrists are doing that now. It's an easy way to increase the volume of patients you're able to see in a day. However, that is not how I practice. It wasn't what I learned when I went to school and it isn't how I'd want to be treated. Therapy is not a drive-thru service. It is important for me to establish a baseline for your personality so that I understand how or if the medication I prescribe is affecting you," Veronica explained.

Ria shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She never would have agreed to come to a psychiatrist if she knew that talking would be involved. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her problems. She'd talked about them enough in her opinion. "What do you want to know?"

"We've already established who referred you to me, but I'd like to know why you agreed to come here. What's going on in your life?" asked Veronica.

"I'm sure Gillian already told you," Ria snapped. She felt as if she'd been set up from the start.

Veronica shook her head, "I've known Gillian a long time and she would never betray a confidence. To be honest I wouldn't want her to. I like walking into a session with a patient tabula rasa…a blank slate. I don't want anyone else's opinions or assessments. I'd like to come to my own conclusions."

The younger woman searched the psychiatrist's face as an attempt to read any microexpressions that would indicate deception.

She smiled and said, "I'm not lying."

Ria sighed heavily, "My boyfriend is worried about me. He thinks that I'm depressed and anxious. He told Gillian and she thought it'd be best if I came in to see you."

Veronica started making a few stray notes in a leather portfolio. "So you are here because your boyfriend wanted you to see someone?"

"Yes, for the most part that's why I am here."

"For the most part? So there are other reasons why you decided to come in for medication?" asked Veronica.

Ria picked with the hem of her dress and said, "Cal's worried that I might hurt myself. I guess I'm here for that too."

"Do you want to hurt yourself?" asked Veronica.

Ria's eyes widened, "Just going to come right out and ask huh?"

Veronica shrugged, "I don't think either of us is interested in beating around the bush. So?"

Ria shook her head, "No, I haven't thought about killing myself. I don't want to die I just want the pain to stop. I'm more into numbing myself than ending it all."

"How have you considered making the pain stop?" asked Veronica.

"Right back to the suicide thing?" asked Ria, she was quickly becoming irritated.

Veronica let the silence hold the room for a moment to see if Ria would continue talking to fill the space.

"I mean I'm Catholic. I grew up in the Church and I know you can't repent from suicide. Once you kill yourself there is no coming back from that. You kill yourself to escape despair and wind up…in hell for a mortal sin. Seems like you go from temporary bad to eternally screwed."

Veronica smiled and said, "A fellow Catholic? A healthy fear of hell and enough guilt to last a lifetime. Do you go to Mass?

That pulled a tight but genuine laugh from Ria. She nodded in agreement. "I go sometimes but not nearly enough."

Veronica shook her head, "There is no judgment from me. I'm a lapsed Catholic. You probably weren't born the last time I set foot into a confessional or attended a holy day of obligation. Do you ever think of going back?"

Ria shook her head, "Too many bad memories mixed with the good ones. My religion and my childhood are so intertwined I have a hard time pulling them apart."

Veronica nodded in understanding and wrote down a few more notes. She looked up to find the younger woman studying her face intently.

Ria said, "You're curious…I can see it on your face."

Veronica smiled, "Curiosity is a very important part of the therapy process. If I wasn't curious I wouldn't be very good at my job. Earlier you mentioned you want people to stop hurting you. Is someone currently hurting you?" asked Veronica.

Ria shook her head, "I'm not in an abusive relationship if that is what you're thinking. Cal would never hurt me. He isn't that kind of man. He loves me. He's tried to protect me…even before we started dating."

"So other people have hurt you in the past?" asked Veronica.

Ria nodded and said, "I don't want to go through all of my bad memories. I don't want to go back to my childhood and tell you how awful it was. I just…life isn't fair and for some people it is even more unfair than normal."

Veronica said, "I'm not asking for a recitation of every bad thing that has ever happened. What I am asking for is why you are here today? You told me about Gillian sending you here and you told me that your boyfriend wants you to come here. However, you haven't told me why you wanted to come here?"

"I was attacked by a serial rapist that is still on the loose. He's been threatening me. He nearly killed my ex-boyfriend while looking for me. He promised that he would see me again. The closer he gets to me I get more anxious and depressed. I'm having a hard time coping and I have an even harder time asking the people that care about me for help," Ria confessed.

"Who wouldn't? Who wouldn't be scared shitless by the situation that you are in? To be violated is a horror but to be stalked and terrorized is a different kind of horror but still incredibly damaging. You said that you are having a hard time coping. What are you doing to just get through the days?"

Ria said, "The days are easy because I just focus on my work. I work for the Lightman Group and I spend my days detecting if people are lying. Nighttime is when I run into trouble. Some nights I have trouble sleeping so…I've been using liquor to help me get to sleep. It is hard to relax enough to get any rest at all. My mind is always thinking and worrying. Last night Cal realized just how much I've been using liquor to get me through the nights. I've been using his flask so that I won't have to leave the bed for a drink."

Veronica said, "I'm sorry that you are going through this, Ria. It isn't fair to you and it isn't right, but I am glad that you came in to see me. Hiding that you are drinking can be a sign that you are abusing alcohol. Ativan can help you relax so that you can get rest at night. However, you cannot mix it with alcohol."

Ria chuckled, "Don't worry. My boyfriend was getting rid of the liquor at the house when I left this morning. I won't be mixing anything. I don't want to accidentally overdose. Cal would never forgive himself."

"Let's talk about your depression. You have been through a terrible situation and being depressed isn't uncommon, but I'd like to know why you think you're depressed," said Veronica.

Ria blew out a tired breath and shrugged, "I feel hopeless a lot of the time. I feel like I'm on one perpetual shit cycle and I'll never get off of it. Just when I feel like I'm on solid ground the rug gets snatched from under me. I was happy before the rape turned my life upside down and inside out. After it happened…I ended up right back in a place I didn't want to be."

Veronica made a few notations but nodded in understanding, "So there was another time in your life when you felt hopeless?"

"Most of my childhood I felt trapped. Some days I thought I was going to die and that was alright with me," said Ria.

"In sessions I often use a technique called I feel…because. It might feel funny at first but it can be a useful tool. I'd like to try that with you right now. As a child you felt trapped because?"

Ria swallowed visibly and picked with the bracelet on her wrist. "I felt trapped because my father was hurting me and there was no one there to save me. There was no one there to save me this time either."

Veronica nodded and said, "Wow, now that is powerful stuff."

Ria rolled her eyes and said, "It's the same old bullshit I've been dealing with all my life."

"You strike me as a strong woman. I'm sure you are used to doing everything for yourself. Am I right?"

Ria nodded in agreement.

"It is brave of you to admit that you needed someone to save you. How brave of you to admit that you couldn't save yourself. Use that bravery here in therapy. It does not diminish your strength to say that you need help. I don't have any problem with prescribing an anti-depressant to go along with the Ativan and I am sure in the short term they will do you some good, but you've been through a terrible trauma. It sounds as if you've been through several terrible traumas. Pharmaceuticals are not going to alleviate the root of the . It will just help stabilize your mood. I'd like to start seeing you twice a month."

Ria explained, "I'm tired of group counseling. I was already doing it for post traumatic stress. It just didn't work and I hated bearing my soul to strangers."

"Group counseling is very different than individual therapy. You will only be talking to me and I can work with you directly on forming coping mechanisms to help you deal with the stress you are under. There are treatments for PTSD. Some of the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are using rapid eye movement desensitization to help with the PTSD. There have been some successes."

She took a deep breath and went quiet thinking about having to come for counseling. "I guess I can come on a regular basis, but if it isn't working…I'll quit."

"I understand that feeling completely. I wouldn't want you to waste your time or money on something you don't feel is helping. All I ask is that you give counseling two months. I'd like to be able to work with you once the anti-depressants have built up in your system."

Ria said, "I think that I can agree to that."

* * *

Cal walked into the bedroom and heard water running in the bathroom. He walked to the door and knocked, "Ria?"

She walked out of the bathroom wearing a robe. Ria leaned in and kissed him softly, "Hey, Cal. I was wondering when you were going to come home. How was everything with MarshTech?"

He frowned and said, "Two of the CEO's kids were lying about something. The eldest son's wife is probably involved as well. I wouldn't be surprised if it was more than one person embezzling from the company. I will start watching to the tapes later to break everything down."

Ria frowned and kissed him softly, "I wish I could have come with you this afternoon. Your day sounds infinitely more interesting than mine was, but maybe I can help you with the tapes tonight while we have dinner."

"How was your day? Gillian mentioned that you never came back to the office after going to your appointment with the psychiatrist," said Cal. He couldn't hide his worry even though he wanted to.

She took a breath and said, "Horrible. It was the first session so she didn't dig deep but I can tell that she will when I see her again. For now she prescribed Ativan and Celexa. I picked up the medicine from the pharmacy. I'll start taking them tonight. The bad news is I can't drink at all. I guess it is all for the best. I'm sorry about not coming back in after my appointment. I just needed some time to myself."

"It's fine. I wasn't upset that you didn't go back to the office. I was just worried about you. I know that you didn't want to go but I am glad that you did," Cal confessed.

"I'm glad that I did too. She made me feel like maybe there were options instead of just talking about my feelings…she talked about real solutions that might help me get better. I liked that. I don't like feeling the way that I feel. I'd like to be happy one day without thinking about all of the bad things," said Ria.

He smiled and said, "Well, I guess Gillian sent you to the right person. So you're going back to see her again?"

Ria nodded, "I'm really glad that I have good insurance through the Lightman Group because Veronica wants to see me every two weeks. There was so much to talk about today but before I left she walked me through a deep breathing technique to help me when I feel my anxiety taking over. It seemed to calm me down in her office but I don't know if it will work if I am in a full-blown panic."

Cal caressed her back, "Well, you have the anti-anxiety medication for the times when deep breathing just isn't enough. I was starting to get worried when I didn't hear from you. I thought you might have bailed on going to see the psychiatrist. I wondered if I should have gone with you."

"I needed some time to myself after that session. Well, time to myself with the FBI tailing me, but it served its purpose. I went for a walk to sort of clear my head. I hate talking about my past because it feels like I am rehashing it and reliving it but Veronica thinks I've just never dealt with it. I accept that it happened and I've decided to shove it under a rug and just not deal with it. Maybe that is why I'm stuck the way that I am," Ria said.

Cal was shocked to hear so much progress from one session. He wondered if Ria was really this optimistic or was some of this for his benefit. It was no secret that he was concerned for her well-being. He looked down and noticed a couple of shopping bags. "You went shopping during this walk to clear your mind?"

Ria chuckled and smiled sheepishly. "I might have stopped by a store or four. I figured I deserved a little treat. I sat through a 50 minute therapy session that I didn't want to be in and I even put forth a little effort after being resistant in the beginning. I'm proud of myself for trying. That effort deserves a reward. I did a little shopping and I stopped off to get a mani-pedi. I feel relaxed for now."

Cal chuckled, "I couldn't agree with you more. What did you buy at the store? Anything that I might be interested in seeing you wear?"

She flashed a small smile, "Maybe, but you will just have to wait for later tonight to see it."

"I am sure that it will be well worth the wait."

Ria walked into the bathroom and hung her bathrobe on the back of the door. She slid into the tub and sighed happily. "My foot hurts so badly. I don't know what I was thinking wearing heels the day after cutting the bottom of my foot."

Cal leaned against the door frame watching Ria sink into the bubble filled bathtub, "The simple answer is that you were thinking about being sexy. You were incredibly sexy by the way, so mission accomplished."

"Thank you. Well, I guess it was all worth it if I looked sexy. Not! Tomorrow I am most definitely wearing flats and a heavily padded band aid. I will have to settle for being cute and practical."

"What do you want for dinner?" asked Cal.

"I was thinking we could get takeout for dinner. I don't feel like cooking and after the day you've had I don't think that you feel like it either."

"You'd be right about that. Thai sound good?"

Ria nodded and rested her head against the rolled towel on the back of the tub. "Thai would be great. We haven't had it in awhile. I'd love to have pad thai and maybe khao phad goong moo. We can just order a bunch of things and share. Whatever is leftover I can eat for breakfast."

"Alright that is what we will do and we'll have something nonalcoholic to go with it," Cal said.

"You are so subtle, Cal. I know that I can't drink and take my medicine and I don't intend to. I'll drink soda or something. Oh, can you pick up some ice cream on your way home? I really have a taste for rocky road. I've been thinking about it since got home."

Cal chuckled, "That's fine. I'll pick some up on my way back. Do you want me to wait for you to come with me?"

"No, I want to soak in the bathtub for awhile. I'll be fine here on my own. The agents are parked down the street to watch the house. I'll be finished with my bath by the time you get back with the food," said Ria.

He walked over and kissed the top of her head. "Alright, I'll be back soon. Call me if you think of anything else you want me to pick up."

Ria smiled and said, "I love you…"

"I love you too, Ria," said Cal.

Ria smirked as he walked out of the bathroom. Afterward she closed her eyes and enjoyed soaking in the tub. It was just what the doctor ordered after a hellacious day.

Twenty minutes later Ria heard movement in the house as she was climbing out of the tub. She frowned and pulled on her robe as she exited the bathroom. "Cal? Is that you?" asked Ria.

She thought it was odd for him to be back so soon. Their favorite Thai restaurant was at least a 15 minute drive there and 15 minute drive back to the house. She moved over to the bed and picked up the phone to call the agent's stationed down the street but frowned when the there was no dial tone.

A cold chill shot up Ria's back and she ran around to Cal's side of the bed. She searched his nightstand and retrieved his gun.

Ria turned off the light in the bedroom, grabbed her purse, and hid in the closet. She grabbed the cell phone from her purse and called the agent's down the street. She frowned when they didn't answer. "Bastards," Ria muttered.

She called 911 as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"I think there's an intruder in my house. I can hear him coming up the stairs. I'm hiding in my closet. Please send the police!"

"What's your address? We'll send the police out there immediately."

Ria said, "9237 Brookside Rd. Please! Hurry!"

"Stay on the line. The police will be there soon," the dispatcher promised.

Ria took the safety off of the gun and braced herself against the back of the closet.

She held her breath as the footsteps entered the bedroom. Her entire body started to shake nervously.

The doors to the closet were thrown open.

A man's voice said, "Hello….beautiful…"

A single shot rang out in the darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

On his way back home, Cal talked to Zoe on the phone.

"How is everything going? I've been keeping tabs on the FBI's manhunt through my old contacts," Zoe said.

"They are as useless as they have always been. Daniel Greene is making fools out of them. Ria is nervous but she isn't in pieces. You haven't mentioned any of this to Emily, have you?"

"Of course not, Cal. Emily would be worried about you and Ria. She likes her a lot, you know."

"I am glad to hear that. I think Ria will be sticking around for awhile. She's been worried that Emily would be upset about the age difference. I want the two of them to get along."

Zoe snorted before she could stop herself.

Cal frowned and asked, "Something you wanted to say, love?"

"No, I just never thought I'd see the day when you were willing to get serious with a woman, but you are obviously very serious about Ria."

He didn't really have a response to Zoe's assessment. Although, he didn't think she was expecting one.

Zoe paused listening to the silence before asking, "How serious are the two of you, Cal?"

"I don't really have an answer. It isn't something that we've taken the time to talk about. Daniel Greene is still lurking around and causing chaos. It hardly seems the time to ask what Ria wants in the future," said Cal.

"Well, what do you want?" asked Zoe.

"Why would you want to know?"

She chuckled, "You are my ex-husband and the father of my beautiful daughter. Furthermore, when we aren't fighting I like to think that we are friends as well. I'm curious."

"I haven't really given it much thought. I've just been focused on keeping her safe and steady. The rest can come later."

"I may not be a lie expert but I can tell that was a massive one. What's really going on, Cal?"

He cleared his throat and was glad he had the road to focus on at the moment.

"I love Ria and she knows that. I enjoy the relationship that we have but it's born out of tragedy and fear. I don't know where we will stand once the crisis is over," Cal explained.

Zoe laughed softly. It was rare to hear such uncertainty from Lightman. He had been cocksure about everything from the first moment they met.

"You are too old to be this stupid," Zoe replied.

"Careful with the age talk, love. We're but a few years apart in age."

"You want something serious with Ria and you're scared that you are just a big security blanket for her. You are stupid. I saw the way she looked at you when we had dinner together. I saw it the first time I met her in your office. That girl is in awe of you and probably has been since she started working at the Lightman Group. This tragedy may have pushed you to her but I don't think that was the case for her."

Cal started thinking about the first time Ria came on to him. He also started to think about all of the microexpressions he'd noticed while working with Ria. He saw millions of microexpressions on his coworkers and had long ago resolved not to act on everything he noticed. If he was honest with himself, Cal knew that the attraction was there long before Ria was raped. Whatever his protégé felt for him was genuine and not a reaction from her trauma.

"Cal?"

"I don't have the answers that you are looking for, Zoe. All I know is that I love Ria and I want her in my life. I will just have to find out if I can keep her."

"Why wouldn't you be able to?"

Cal chuckled, "I couldn't keep you."

Zoe flinched at the pain in those words, "Cal, you know that train wreck wasn't a one man job. That was a 50-50 screw up on both our parts. Just because one marriage ended in abject failure does not mean a second one would have the same results. Do you want to marry her?"

"It is too soon for that. We've only been together a short time, but she's young and she deserves to know if there's a future in this for her. Once before she said that she knew I wouldn't want to get remarried or have any more children. She said that she was fine with that."

Zoe asked, "You don't believe her? It isn't the 1950's, Cal. It isn't as if every woman's dream is to get married, have children, and throw fabulous cocktail parties."

"You've been watching too much Mad Men. No, I don't think that she wants to suddenly become a stay-at-home mother, but I do know that she wants to get married. I do know that she wants to have children. I do know that she is willing to give up those dreams if it means getting to be with me and I don't think that's fair to her."

"How do you…"

Cal cut her off, "Loker told me."

Zoe said, "This is something you need to talk about with Ria. Just don't make any decisions on your own. That was one of the problems that we had. You were so sure that you had all the answers because you could read me. Sometimes it felt like you were in a relationship of your own and I was just along for the ride. Listen, I should go. I am supposed to meet Emily for a late dinner."

"Give her my love."

Zoe said, "I will. Be careful, Cal."

Their conversation had given Cal a lot to consider. He knew now wasn't the time but in the future he would have to have this conversation with Ria.

Cal felt his blood run cold as he approached his street. He could hear sirens from several blocks away and instinctively he knew they were for his house.

Automatically, his thoughts went to Ria. He shouldn't have left her home alone. There was a feeling before he left the house but he blamed it on his paranoia. He had been on edge much like Ria since the flowers were delivered.

Cal stepped on the gas and bent the corner of his street doing at least 40 mph. He came to a screeching halt several yards away from his home. The rest of the street was lined with police cars, ambulances, and unmarked government sedans.

He jumped out of the car and raced down the street toward his house only to be stopped by a uniform officer attempting to setup a perimeter.

"I'm sorry, sir. This is an active crime scene and unauthorized persons are not allowed to cross the barricade," the young officer recited from memory.

Cal growled, "That is my house! My girlfriend is in there."

The man softened but remained resolute, "I'm sorry but I have strict orders to not let anyone through."

"Can you tell me if someone is hurt inside the house? Is my girlfriend okay? Her name is Ria Torres."

"I don't know the details of what is happening in the house. They don't tell us anything. All I know is that we received a 911 call about an intruder and there is an injured party in the house. I can't tell you who that injured person might be."

Cal yelled in frustration and began to pace in front of the barricade like a caged animal. He took out his phone and tried calling the house phone but the line just rang.

He clutched the phone tighter in his hand resisting the urge the throw it across the street. Cal tried Ria's phone hoping it was with her. However, the knot in his stomach was twisting in panic.

His biggest fear was that Ria was already dead and there was nothing he could do to help her. Briefly, he considered decking the police officer but quickly realized he would never make it to the house before one of the other two dozen police officers on the scene apprehended him.

Cal whirled around when he heard a car approaching. He squinted at the dark sedan but couldn't see beyond the tinted windows.

Special Agent Bernard got out of the passenger side of the car.

Cal rushed to his side. "Bernard, what do you know about what happened in my house? Local law enforcement has no idea what's going on."

The two had never been especially friendly with one another. In fact, there was mutual disdain that kept their relationship fresh, but seeing Cal in this state Bernard wasn't cruel enough to leave him standing there without answers.

"You're with me," Agent Dillon declared simply.

The taller man flashed his credentials at the young uniform officer and moved around the barricade with Cal following close behind.

As soon as they entered the house Cal's nose picked up the unmistakable scent of gunpowder. For a moment, it felt as if his heart stopped beating altogether.

Bernard walked into the living room where a gaggle of FBI agents were standing around a chair.

"Make a hole," he barked making the crowd quickly disperse.

Cal's eyes widened and he rushed to Ria's side.

A paramedic was helping her breath using an oxygen mask but he couldn't see where she was injured. He quickly noticed the areas of her robe now covered in drying blood.

"Ria, are you okay?" asked Cal. He reached out to touch her trembling hand.

She nodded shakily but continued to stare off into space. Ria had been unable to speak since she pulled the trigger. The sickening thud of Daniel Greene's body hitting the floor still rang loudly in her ears. He didn't speak after being shot but he made desperate gurgles and gasps as he tried to breathe.

The paramedic said, "We are treating her for shock and for an injury to her head and wrist. It appears she took a fall down the stairs. We haven't been able to get her to confirm that but the floor of the hallway is where the responding agents found her."

Cal had never been so relieved in his life. He pressed a kiss to the top of Ria's head and squeezed her hand as if she might slip away from him if he let go.

Bernard walked over to the pair and said, "Well, it won't be official until the doctor at the hospital calls it but Daniel Greene died en route to the hospital. The bullet tore through his right lung. The second bullet severed his femoral artery."

Lightman's eyes widened and he looked down at Ria. He shifted his gaze back to Bernard and asked, "What happened?"

"The details are murky at best right now. We won't know everything until we're able to question Ms. Torres about what happened here tonight. We'll also need to consider the autopsy report. That will give us the whole picture."

Ria tensed up hearing that she was going to be questioned. She knew how police procedures worked but it wasn't something she was prepared for. She had killed a man. It didn't matter that it was a man that violated her and terrorized her. She was still a murderer.

Cal felt Ria tense and he shot a glare at Agent Dillon. "This man stalked her for weeks. Don't treat her like she's the criminal here."

Bernard held up his hand in surrender, "You misunderstand me, Lightman. The questioning is standard after a shooting but there is no way that this gets declared as anything other than self-defense. It is just for the record."

Cal grumbled, "I'm going to make sure she has a lawyer present anyway."

Bernard sighed and said, "Still don't trust me, Lightman?"

"Not as far as I could throw you, Bernerd," Cal replied.

The man shook his head and said, "As soon as the paramedics medically clear Ms. Torres she will be transported to the bureau for questioning. You are welcome to come but you won't be allowed in the room during the questioning."

The paramedic said, "I think Ms. Torres is concussed. She is having trouble tracking the movement of my finger and she was unconscious when we first arrived on scene. We are going to transport her to the hospital to get checked out."

Cal kissed Ria's cheek, "Everything is going to be okay, love. You are safe now and I am going to call a lawyer for you. You don't say a word to Bernerd or anyone else until your lawyer is there. Do you understand?"

Ria nodded slowly to let Cal know she understood what he was saying. She wanted to speak but her mind was still fuzzy.

* * *

The next morning Ria was still in the hospital. Upon further inspection, the emergency room doctor found a subdural hematoma during a routine CAT scan.

Cal was seated on a chair beside the hospital bed. That had been his post for the majority of the night. He moved only when Ria was whisked away for tests.

He looked up hearing a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

Gillian entered the room and made her way over to the bed. She looked at the young woman with compassion and concern before shifting her attention to Cal. "How is she?"

He looked at Gillian with bloodshot eyes and replied, "I don't know. We won't know until the neurologist comes in and tells us what is going on."

"Neurologist?"

"The subdural hematoma was large enough that the doctors thought it best to get a consult from the neurologist. I've been waiting all night for him to grace us with his presence. I've been told he's in surgery but I think it is all bollocks. The asshole is probably asleep somewhere, right now."

Gillian shook her head. She knew well enough that the wheels in a major trauma hospital often turned slowly. Truthfully, Ria wasn't a high priority case so she would continue to get bumped down the list by more urgent cases. There were no shortage of those in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

"I am sure that it will turn out to be nothing at all. Subdural hematomas aren't exactly rare when a person suffers a concussion. The doctors are probably just trying to be thorough. The last thing anyone wants is for the doctors to release Ria with a ticking time bomb in her head."

Cal just nodded and went back to watching Ria's sleeping face.

"How are you handling all of this? I know seeing her like this can't be easy."

"I'm in no mood to be analyzed."

Gillian put her hands up in surrender and said, "I'm not here as Dr. Foster. I'm here as your friend, Cal. I know you and I know what is going through your head right now."

"I shouldn't have left her alone last night. I could have ordered in from one of the take-out places. I could have waited until Ria finished bathing and insisted she come with me, but I didn't want her to feel fragile. She was in a good place last night. Ria was hopeful that therapy would help fix some things inside of her and I didn't want to make her feel like she couldn't be trusted to stay alone."

"What happened last night, Cal? Do you know?" asked Gillian.

Cal looked into Gillian's dewy eyes and quickly shook his head. "Greene didn't get to attack her if that is what you are worried about."

Gillian visibly relaxed and eased into a chair. That had been her greatest fear upon hearing about the incident. She didn't know if Ria could survive another sexual assault. The young woman was barely hanging on by a thread right now.

"How did she get the concussion? Was there a struggle?" asked Gillian.

"Ria said that he walked into the room and opened the closet door where she was hiding. Then she just pulled the trigger. One shot to his leg. She ran from the room unsure where he was hit. Ria was headed for the stairs when Greene staggered out of the room. He shoved her down the stairs and she fell to the bottom, but she had the presence of mind to pick the gun back up and shoot him a second time in the chest. The lights were on downstairs so she could see him better the second time. That was all she wrote for Greene. He collapsed at the top of the stairs and bled out or stopped breathing. The coroner isn't sure which killed him yet. They were both possibly fatal hits. By the time the police and FBI arrived Ria was unconscious from the fall."

Gillian shook her head in disbelief, "Oh God. The hell this girl has been through because of that psychopath. I know you wanted to be there to protect her, Cal, but she protected herself. She was only in the frame of mind to do that because of you. You helped her be okay."

"I'm happy she killed the bastard. He deserved to die, but I hate that she will carry that around. She has a good heart and a conscience. Taking a life is going to weigh heavy on her. It is just something else Greene took from her."

Gillian offered an alternative, "Or she will look at it as a source of empowerment. She has been a victim her entire life and this time she wasn't. She stopped him from hurting her or anyone else. She didn't need you to save her. I hope that is what Ria will take from this."

They both looked up hearing a knock at the door.

Cal answered, "Come in…"

Ava and Lorenzo, Ria's uncle, walked into the room. The young girl was already teary eyed and rushed to her sister's bedside.

"Thank you for calling my foster mother, Dr. Lightman," Ava said.

"It was no trouble at all. I didn't think this type of news should be heard on the television or internet."

Lorenzo stood against the wall not attempting to approach the bed. He knew that his niece wasn't interested in him being there, but he had come for Ava's benefit and his own.

"How long she been out?" Lorenzo asked.

Cal replied, "A few hours. They gave her a pretty heavy sedative because of the pain she's in. We'll know more when the doctor gets here."

Lorenzo nodded, "Heard on the news the guy is dead…"

Cal nodded.

"Lucky him," Lorenzo quipped. There was a darkness to his eyes that belied the calmness of his voice.

Lightman understood that feeling. If he could resurrect Greene and kill him a second time he would gladly do it. Cal stood up and motioned to his chair.

"Have a seat, love."

Ava sniffled and sat down in the chair. She whispered, "Thanks."

Gillian looked around for a box of tissues and passed them over the bed to Ava. She shifted her gaze to Lorenzo not exactly sure who he was.

Cal saw her curious expression and said, "Gillian Foster, this is Ria's uncle Lorenzo Torres."

Gillian stood and approached the man. "It's very nice to meet you."

Lorenzo nodded, "Likewise. Do you work with my niece?"

"I do. She is an amazing girl. You should be very proud of her."

He smiled, "I'm proud of both my nieces. They're turning out to be better people than my brothers and I ever were. Ava said that Ria's going to go to college."

Cal said, "She's filled out the applications and is almost finished with the essays she has to submit with them."

Lorenzo said, "Looks like there will be three Torres family members getting a college education."

Cal looked surprised, "Really?"

Ava nodded with a grin, "I've been helping Uncle Lo apply to a community college. He wants to get an Associate's degree in Information Systems & Technology."

He chuckled, "I might get me one of those fancy 4-year degrees if the community college thing goes well."

There was a chuckle in the room and everyone looked to Ria's bed. Her eyes were still closed but there was a smile on her face.

"I can just see you walking in there tatted up and wearing a pocket protector. You are going to scare the hell out of those people. Have you tried turning your computer off and on, cabrón?" Ria joked.

Ava laughed heartily, "Ria! You're awake."

Ria opened her eyes and smiled, "How could I stay asleep with all of you talking? I was sleeping not unconscious."

Ava stood and leaned over hugging Ria gently. "I was so scared you weren't going to be okay. Don't ever do this to me again, okay?"

She returned her sister's hug and said, "You have my word that I will try to stay out of trouble from here on out. Did Uncle Lorenzo bring you up here?"

Ava nodded, "But my foster mother knows. I swear I didn't run off. She would have brought me herself but she had to work."

"It's okay, Ava. I was wrong for trying to keep you and Uncle Lorenzo apart. He's never hurt us and he served his time. It might not be such a bad thing to give him a chance," said Ria.

"Does that mean that you are going to give him a chance too, Ria?" asked Ava.

Lorenzo interrupted, "Hey, we don't have to bother your sister about that right now."

Ria said, "No, it is a good question. I was sort of a bitch to you."

Ava snorted, "Sort of?"

Ria shot her a glare and then chuckled softly, "I was a bitch to you and it had nothing to do with you. You just reminded me of a time and a place I didn't want to go back to."

Lorenzo said, "I get it. I look and sound a lot like my brother. They used to call us mellizo, twin, when we were kids. I know what he did to you and you got every right to hate him. He's dead so if you need a place to put all that hate…I get that. I just want you to know that I wouldn't have stood by and let him hurt you if I was out. He would have been muerto long time ago."

Cal said, "I am going to go check on that neurologist. He hasn't been in here yet."

Gillian sensed that the family needed a moment so she said, "I'll come with you. I wanted to check on Loker as well. It is helpful that he's only a few floors away."

The two of them left the room.

Cal said, "I'm happy that she's willing to give her uncle a chance. He cares for her. I saw that much when he came to the office looking for her. She could use some family in her life."

"Well, she needs a support system. She has the two of us but there is nothing wrong with having more people to turn to. Maybe if she had a better support system she wouldn't have suffered in silence for so long after the attack."

"I talked to Zoe last night and she was hinting about my future with Ria."

Gillian asked, "Oh?"

"Ria wants to get married. She wants children. Despite the fact that she doesn't think she can have a normal life, secretly, she wants one."

"What do you want, Cal?" asked Gillian.

"Ria," he said simply.

Gillian was shocked, "Does that mean you are going to propose?"

Cal chuckled, "No, I'm not about to drop to one knee right now and propose to her, but it just means that it isn't off the table."

"And children?"

"I think I did a good job with Emily and that was even with my divorce from Zoe. I don't want to hold Ria back and I don't want to let her go. Besides I'm a good father."

Gillian hugged him, "Yes, you are."


	20. Chapter 20

Cal unlocked the front door and guided Ria into the house. He placed her bags beside the console table in the foyer and then closed the door. It was a matter of habit to lock the door as soon as he walked into the house. That was how Daniel Greene changed their lives. He was a ghost that would continue to haunt them.

He turned around to see Ria staring at the top of the stairs where Greene died just days ago. She was reluctant to talk about the experience with Cal but he knew taking a life weighed heavily on the young woman's mind. Ria talked about the incident only once and that was at the hospital when Agent Dillion interviewed her.

He slipped his arm around her waist and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"I'm glad to have you back home. I've missed you."

Ria laughed and eyed him skeptically, "Don't be ridiculous, Cal. I was only in the hospital for three days and you stayed with me two of those days."

"Well, I didn't stay with you last night and I missed you."

Lightman reluctantly stayed home the previous night to make sure it was ready for Ria's return. He had a cleaning company scrub the house from top to bottom. Afterward he went over everything with a fine toothcomb. He didn't want even one speck of blood left behind to remind Ria of that night. Her own memories were quite enough.

"Well, I missed you, too. I woke up in the middle of the night and I was bored without you. I missed our late night talks about microexpressions and sports. I had to entertain myself with ESPN and its many reruns of SportsCenter."

"Funny…that's what I watched in bed last night, too. Are you hungry? I can order in something for lunch," said Cal, he looked at his watch.

Ria said, "I am capable of cooking lunch, Cal. I am not an invalid. I just want things to go back to normal and that means doing things for myself."

"No, you're not an invalid, but the doctor was very insistent that you take it easy for the next couple of days. You have a head injury, Ria, it is not something to be taken lightly. I promise in a couple of days I'll go back to being an asshole."

She smirked, "You're worried about me…that is adorable. I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to order something for lunch. You should see if Carlo's delivers this early. I really want their baked ziti and a chef salad."

"Once I help you get settled in then I'll give them a call and see."

"I don't need help getting settled in. I am going to go get in the bed so that you will stop fussing over me," said Ria, she kissed his cheek and disappeared up the stairs.

She walked into their bedroom and stopped to look around the room. She could smell to floral cleaning products used to clean up Greene's blood. Ria walked over to the closet and opened the doors to inspect her hiding place.

Everything in the house was back in its rightful place. It was as if the house was trying to trick her into thinking that night never happened. She wasn't angry at Cal. Ria counted herself lucky to have such a caring and considerate man in her life. Coming home to a sanitized bedroom was better than coming home to blood stained walls and floors.

Ria slipped off her shoes, took off her jacket, and climbed into the bed. The truth was that she was exhausted from the hospital stay and was still suffering from the effects of her fall. She was on corticosteroids and diuretics to help reduce the swelling in her brain. It would be a week or more before she was back to normal.

Cal walked into the bedroom and said, "You are in luck, Carlo's does deliver lunch and our food will be here in 45 minutes. Do you need me to get you anything in the meantime?"

"No, I'm fine. Actually, I was hoping that I could talk to you about something important."

He nodded and had a seat next to Ria.

"What's going on, love?"

Ria said, "I snuck over to Loker's room last night to talk to him."

Cal was a little surprised but wasn't upset.

"Did the two of you have a nice talk?"

"Yeah, we did. Loker doesn't blame for what happened to him. He is actually starting to feel a lot better. The nurses are getting him up every day to walk the hallway. You know that is a huge post-operative milestone. He is already on a regular diet. I'm sure it won't be long before he's released from the hospital. He can't wait to get back to work. He misses the video lab."

"Why should he blame you? He was attacked by a psychopath."

Ria deadpanned, "A psychopath that was after me, but that is beside the point. We talked about how we broke up and why I started dating you. Cal, I love Eli. I'm just not in love with him. I don't think I ever was in love with him. We talked for a long time last night. I wanted to know that the two of us could still be friends and I think with time it will happen. He's still hurt about the breakup, but I think he understands now that my feelings for you weren't impulsive or out of fear. What really changed his mind was his talk with you."

"What do you mean?"

Lightman didn't believe that his last conversation with Loker was that productive. He could still see the resentment on the young man's face. He couldn't blame Loker for being angry at him. Cal was wrong for starting a relationship with Ria. He knew very well how strong Eli's feelings were for her, but it had all happened without Cal really trying. Their relationship started out being a way for Cal to protect her but it morphed into something completely different as they lived under the same roof.

"Gillian told him that your feelings for me were genuine and that if he wanted to know the truth he only needed to read the microexpressions. It sounds so simple now but when you are hurting…your heart does the thinking, talking, and acting. He said when you talked to him last week he saw the truth in your words. He wants me to be happy and I am, but…"

Cal asked, "But?"

The relief he felt quickly dissipated and he began to wonder if Ria was about to break up with him. He wouldn't make a big deal out of it if she did. She was still young and he was, as Gillian often pointed out, old enough to be her father.

"He said that I needed to be completely honest with you and he's right. I'm not a picket fence type of girl but at some point I do want a family, Cal. I want to be a mother. I know I said before that..."

He cut her off with a kiss.

Cal said, "I know that you were lying to me, Ria. I saw it and Loker told me that you want to get married and have children."

"I understand that you don't want those things, Cal. I'm not asking you to compromise yourself for me."

"I wouldn't be compromising myself. I love you and that is more than I thought was possible for a long time. I have had sex with a lot of women since my divorce from Zoe. I have loved only one other woman and she wasn't one of the women I've had sex with. That is until you came along. I was attracted to you from the beginning but because of the age difference and the fact that you worked for me I didn't pursue you. The first time you got drunk and came onto me, I thought it was just self-destructive behavior. Then I thought maybe it was a mentor/paternal type thing."

Ria made a disgusted face. She couldn't understand what would posses Lightman or Gillian to think her attraction was based on a paternal thing. He father was an abusive alcoholic. She had no interest in recreating that destructive relationship.

He laughed, "I know now that isn't the case. What I'm trying to say is that marriage and children are not off the table. I want to be with you and if our relationship continues grow I think I'd be very happy to be your husband."

Ria's jaw went slack at Cal's revelation. She was in no way prepared to hear his change of heart. Ria reached out and put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Afterward Cal pulled back with a smile, "I take it that you like my idea?"

"I like knowing that a future is possible for the two of us because I'm really not ready to let you go. I love you."

"Well, what were you going to say? Because it felt like you were about to break up with me."

She laughed and said, "I was not about to break up with you. Why would I do that? And I'm not about to tell you what I was going to say because it doesn't matter now."

Lightman could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't going to budge on the issue. However, he was curious about what her plan had been before he interrupted her speech.

"In other good news the Greene situation wrapped up in enough time for Emily to come home from Chicago for the start of her senior year."

Ria said, "That's great, Cal. I know how much you've missed Emily while she was with Zoe. I also know you are dreading the idea of her going to college in Illinois."

He shrugged, "When you have children you know that at some point they will move away from you. Some move farther away than others, but I can catch a flight any day of the week to check up on my little girl and trust me I will be doing that often. I would be more upset if she was going to school in California. That isn't exactly a quick flight."

She laughed, "Poor Em. I'll have to warn her when you decide to just pop out of the blue. A girl needs her privacy."

"You're taking her side?" asked Cal, he laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Well, technically I was her friend before I became your girlfriend. Besides, I am really saving you. I know what I was doing at 18 years old. You really don't want to walk in on that, Cal."

Cal smirked, "What were you doing at 18?"

She laughed, "I was experimenting and exploring my body and my sexuality. I was having a lot of fun. Luckily I didn't have any parents to interrupt my fun or be concerned for my welfare."

"Later on we are going to talk about what type of exploring you did," Cal said, he leered at her playfully.

Ria smiled and said, "I'm an open book. I've got nothing to hide from you. Besides, you'd be able to tell if I was lying to you."

Cal said, "I can't always tell when you are lying."

"Really?" asked Ria.

"You didn't know that?"

"No. How would I know that you can't tell when I'm lying? I mean I've tried lying to you and hoped that you couldn't tell but I couldn't be sure that I actually pulled it off."

He laughed and shook his head, "Well, there are times when I have trouble figuring out if you are being honest. I think my feelings for you are clouding my judgment."

"I'm throwing the great Cal Lightman off his game? Say it isn't so. I like know that I have that affect on you. You definitely have that affect on me."


	21. Epilogue

_Four Years Later_

Ria smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she put on lipstick. She thought back to her favorite childhood movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She could vividly remember Willy Wonka saying 'Don't forget about what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted - he lived happily ever after'.

She was living her happily ever after. That wasn't to say that there weren't hard times because that wouldn't be reality. She realized now that the hard times made the good times even sweeter. She was happier than she ever could have imagined as a child.

Ria graduated from college a year early. She felt truly proud of her accomplishment. She had overcome so many obstacles to achieve something she once believed was out of reach. She now possessed a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She applied and was accepted into a doctoral program. It was her dream to follow in the footsteps of Cal and Gillian with her formal education in psychology. In the fall, she would begin pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology. There was still a long road ahead of her but the future looked bright. However, it did not always look that way.

It took a while for Ria to heal from the psychological wounds Daniel Greene and her father inflicted on her. She spent more time than she cared to admit in a psychiatrist's office talking about her thoughts and feelings. Ria frequented support groups and even checked herself into an inpatient facility for two weeks not long after Daniel Greene's death at her hands. She struggled to find a medication regimen that actually helped and didn't make her an apathetic zombie.

There were days where she broke down and felt like she might not be able to carry on. She had bouts of depression so intense they crippled her and rendered her useless for days at a time. Ria hated what those days did to Cal and Emily.

She hated that her pain was causing them pain. She had always been friends with Emily and that relationship was only strengthened when Ria became her de facto stepmother. The months following Daniel Greene's death Emily tried her best to be there for Ria. She often made up excuses for not going out with her friends in order to stay home with Ria. It was a massive adjustment when Emily left home to attend college. The bright side was that Emily decided to attend school in New York instead of Chicago.

Ria's relationship with Ava improved greatly. The sisters worked hard to repair the damage of the past. Ria was determined to ensure Ava had a better chance than she ever did. The younger Torres sister began college on schedule.

Cal and Ria stepped up to help her after she aged out of the foster care system. She often spent weekends with Cal and Ria when she wanted a break from life in the dorms. It was a welcomed change in the once tumultuous relationship. Ava always spent the summers with Cal, Ria, and Emily.

For the first time if felt like she was part of a real family where people didn't hurt one another. There were so many things for Ria to feel hopeful about but for nearly a year she couldn't escape her demons.

The trauma of her past felt like weights meant to drag her underwater. However, whenever Ria felt like she was drowning, Cal was always there to pull her back. He could be a caring soul when that was what she needed. He could also be a massive asshole when she needed a swift kick.

He provided her with the love and stability she so desperately needed and in turn, she gave him love and understanding. The quirks that drove everyone else insane Ria accepted whole-heartedly and in most cases found endearing or at least tolerable. There were bumps along the way but after four years, they were still together and in love.

Over time, their improbable relationship blossomed into what it was today. Ria was his partner in life and in business. She helped him run the Lightman Group like a well-oiled machine. Her skills had only increased in her time working with Cal.

In four years, time the Lightman Group had grown considerably. Several profile cases helped propel the firm and Cal into the ranks of elite consultants. There was now a second location in Manhattan ran by Gillian and Loker.

Despite the baggage of their former relationship, Eli and Ria were able to maintain their friendship. He continued to work side-by-side with her until two years ago when Cal offered him the opportunity to manage the second location in Manhattan. Loker jumped at the chance to branch out on his own. The move turned out to be for the best because he met his wife there. Ria wasn't really shocked that Loker took the job. This was like the ultimate validation of all the hard work he'd put in over the years working as Lightman's protégé.

Ria was more surprised that Gillian decided to go to Manhattan as well. The psychologist was there a couple of months before Ria realized she moved there for her boyfriend.

However, the Manhattan office wasn't the only growth spurt the Lightman Group experienced. They had just opened a small satellite office in London. The Lightman Group often handled cases abroad and London was a good base of operations, much to Ria's delight.

She went from being a TSA agent, watching travelers come and go to being one of those people setting off on international flights.

Ria took a deep breath and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. She smiled as her engagement ring came into view. That was another welcomed change; Cal finally bit the bullet and proposed to her. It had been a complete surprise as she assumed a proposal might never come. She was content with their life and didn't see the need to force a marriage he wasn't ready for. Leave it to Lightman to be full of surprises.

They set an October wedding date. Ria wanted an outdoor wedding where they would be surrounded by the vibrantly colored autumn leaves.

There was a loud knock on the bathroom door.

Ava's voice filtered through the wooden door. "You've been in there forever! You are late to your own party. Come out of there! I want to go out to dinner. This is supposed to be a celebration, Ria."

Emily chimed in. "Yeah! We can't cut into the cake until you come out of there."

Ria said, "I'll just be a minute. You can cut the cake without me."

"Well, Dad says that we can't…" Emily replied.

Ria laughed quietly. She could see through Cal even when they weren't in the same room. By telling the girls they couldn't cut the cake without her he had manipulated them into doing his dirty work. They could come upstairs to bother Ria and that way he didn't have to do it.

"I promise that I will be downstairs in five minutes."

Emily said, "Alright. If you aren't out in five minutes I'm coming back with Dad's lock pick set."

Ava said, "Let's go, Em. There has to be something in the kitchen we can snack on until she comes down."

Ria shook her head and then looked down at the picture on the counter. Just when she thought life couldn't get any better things went and changed again.

She took one last deep breath, slipped the picture into her clutch purse, and exited the bathroom.

Ava and Emily applauded as Ria descended the stairs.

Ria did a fake royal wave and said, "Let them eat cake!"

Laughter bubbled up from the group as Cal walked into the living room with the large cake.

He placed the cake on the coffee table and said, "I believe the honors go to you."

Ria chuckled and placed her purse on the table. She looked around the room at the smiling faces and felt like she was truly at home.

Eli and his wife, Elena, attended. Gillian, her boyfriend, Ben, and their adorable little boy, Oliver, were there as well. Ava, Emily, and Lorenzo were also ready to take part in the merriment.

Cal said, "I think the woman of the hour should give some type of speech."

Eli echoed Lightman's sentiments. "Speech! Speech!"

Emily groaned.

Ria laughed. "I don't think anyone except for the two of you wants to hear a speech. They want the cake you've been holding hostage. I'll just say I'm lucky to have all of you in my life. Now, let's dig in." She picked up the knife and started cutting slices.

As everyone descended on the cake, Cal pulled Ria off to the side. He asked, "Are you okay? You were up there for a long time. I was starting to worry about you."

"Everything is fine. I just needed a moment to myself. I'm okay. I'm happy."

Cal read her microexpressions easily in this moment. There were moments when he couldn't and others when Ria was an open book because she wanted to be. "You aren't lying per se but you aren't being completely truthful either. What are you holding back?"

She shook her head. "It is nothing bad. I'll tell you later when we are alone. We have cake to eat and dinner reservations that we can't be late for."

Ria leaned in and kissed him softly.

Lightman grabbed her hand as she turned to walk away. He pulled her to him and said, "I'm proud of you and I love you. Congratulations, love."

She smiled looking into his eyes. "I love you, too. I always will. I am excited to tell you my big secret."

He asked, "Does your big secret have anything to do with yesterday's doctor's appointment?"

Her eyes widened and then she just laughed. Ria didn't tell him about the appointment but she shouldn't have been surprised that he knew about it. Cal was one of those people that had a curiosity about everything and sometimes he was just nosey. "You know?"

Cal said, "I had my suspicions even before the appointment. You don't throw up in the mornings as quiet as you think."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Lightman grinned like the cat that swallowed the canary. "I figured if you were going to all of the trouble to keep it from me I should play along. I knew that you'd tell me when you were ready."

She shook her head. She didn't know why she thought she could hide something this massive from Cal. "I was going to tell you once I was sure."

He reached out and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Are are you sure now?"

Ria nodded and said, "Very sure. I got the confirmation from Dr. Sellers yesterday afternoon. She did an ultrasound." She opened her clutch purse and pulled out the picture.

Cal took the picture and studied the grainy image in front of him.

She chewed her bottom lip nervously wondering what he was thinking. Cal's face was unreadable and it made her nervous. She knew in theory that he was open to having children but this was reality.

"How far along are you?" asked Cal. He continued to study the image.

"I'm ten weeks pregnant. Dr. Sellers said my due date is around December 16th."

Cal could remember the exact date he agreed to start trying for a baby with Ria. It was nearly seven months ago when she first came to him with the idea. He didn't agree immediately. Instead, Cal sat with the decision for a week. It was a major decision and he believed it deserved sincere thought. He wasn't concerned about his ability to be a good father because Emily turned out great despite his rocky relationship with Zoe. He also had no doubt about Ria's ability to be a great mother.

However, his advanced age did concern him. He would be in his late 60's by the time their child reached 18. He worried that he might leave Ria to be a single mother. Both of his parents died early in life for vastly different reasons but it still concerned him. He didn't think he could agree in good conscience without having all the facts. After getting a physical Cal decided he was in moderately good health and wasn't likely to keel over in the next couple of years.

"Cal?"

Lightman was brought out of his thoughts by the concern in Ria's voice. He reached out and caressed her cheek. He smiled at her. "This is amazing news, love."

"Really?" Ria felt the excitement well up inside of her. She had struggled all yesterday to contain the news. It just didn't seem the right time with all the work Cal had to do before they could leave for vacation in a couple of days.

"Yes! We have been trying for months now. I was starting to wonder if one or both of us needed to see the doctor to make sure everything was okay medically. I know how disappointed you were each time a test was negative. This is great. I can't wait to go to the first appointment. Did you already set a date?"

Ria had never been so relieved in her life. Cal's silence had put her on edge. She hated to think that she might have misjudged his interest in becoming a father again. "No. I wanted to wait to talk to you. I didn't know if you wanted to be there or not. If you did want to go to the appointment I wanted to be sure we could work around both of our schedules."

Ava walked into the kitchen. "If you two don't get a piece of cake soon it is going to be gone. Emily and Loker are on their second pieces of cake."

Cal asked, "How many have you had?"

The girl laughed and said, "I'm eyeing my third piece. What time is dinner again? That graduation took forever. Why did you go to a college with so many students?"

Ria chuckled and hugged her sister. "I told you to eat breakfast this morning but you didn't want to eat. We'll leave in a few minutes. I promise."

Ava smiled and returned to the living room.

Ria kissed Cal's cheek and said, "We'll talk about this later. I was hoping we could keep this to ourselves. I don't want to tell anyone yet. It is too soon. So many things can go wrong in the first trimester."

"Then it will be our secret."

She took his hand. "Let's go. We have a living room full of people ready to have dinner. We're being bad hosts."

Cal reached out and placed a hand on her still flat stomach. "I guess it would be bad manners to kick the lot of them out."

Ria laughed but her eyes sparkled with pure joy feeling Cal touch her stomach. She covered his hand with her own.

Ava and Emily were about to walk into the kitchen to bother them again but stopped in their tracks seeing the intimate moment.

Emily backed into the hallway pulling Ava with her.

Ava asked, "Do you think this means…?"

"That I'm a sister?"

Ava nodded. "And I'm an aunt!"


End file.
